Checkmate
by Benzux
Summary: A game of chess has two queens, both trying to checkmate the opposing king. Soubu High also has two queens, but unlike in chess, each is trying to checkmate their own king. But if one queen failed in her endeavor, pushing her king away, there would only be one king left on the board. And Hikigaya Hachiman is about to find out what it's like to be the sole king on the board.
1. Prologue

**AN: Hello everyone! You may not know who I am, so let me introduce myself briefly: I'm Benzux (or just Ben among friends), and I have been writing fanfiction about my favourite Anime/Manga for well over a year, now. However, this story is my first time writing about such a "well-known" series as Oregairu, with my other stories being about lesser-known titles. If you've already read one of my previous stories, I thank you for your support!**

**I'd like to think I've read most of the Oregairu fanfictions on , with my favourite ones focusing either on best girl Yukino or not-quite-best-but-still-kind-of-good girl Yumiko, who I began to like after the surprising amount of stories shipping her and Hachiman (Keep them coming!). And for the longest time, I have been planning on joining the various authors in writing fanfiction for this magnificent series, but with my free time being absorbed by my other story projects, and due to not being able to choose whether to write a Yukino fic or a Yumiko fic, I've only now gotten around to it (and what better time, with the 14th Volume of the Novels now out in Japan and the third season of the Anime just around the corner!). But, when given a choice between two things, one always has a third option: choosing both. Me choosing said third option is what lead to the idea for this story. I couldn't choose whether or not to focus on Yukino or Yumiko in my story, so I'll just have to focus on both! And if you are wondering about the "M" rating I've given this story, there's a couple of reasons for it. Firstly, it gives me a lot more freedom with what I write. I don't think there'll be any smut any time soon, but it does allow me to not worry about offending anyone – you know what you're getting into. And secondly, this fic will feature yanderes. That's right, I used the plural. It should become pretty clear who is a yandere and who is not, but you have been warned, if that is not your cup of tea.**

**Now, this AN is a bit longer than I wanted it to be, but without further ado, let us get _Checkmate _underway with this first chapter – the Prologue!**

* * *

**Prologue**

What. Is. Happening. Right. Now.

"Hachi."

"Hikio!"

My hands are tied, and I'm being pinned down. Two female figures are looming over me, and I recognise both of them _too_ well, even in the dim light of the room we are inside of. _Why… __why __didn't I realize this sooner..._

"You _must_ make a decision, Hachi." One of the voices says, and I feel a soft finger caressing my cheek.

"For once I agree with her. You'll choose _me_, right, Hikio?" The other voice says, while her finger moves in circles on my chest.

"Don't be absurd. He'll _obviously_ choose me. I'm the best choice for him, after all." The finger on my cheek ceases its movements, and its owner turns to face towards the other girl.

"Huh?! And what makes you think _that_?" The finger on my chest stops, and the girls are now facing each other.

"Umm… G-girls..?" I manage to weakly say, and both of them turn to look at me, their beautiful faces causing a shiver to go down my spine. _Their… __their _eyes_… Here I thought I was the one who was said to have dead eyes…_

"Could you please be quiet for a moment, Hachi?" A cold voice sends a shiver down my spine.

"Yeah, me and her need to settle this matter first, Hikio." The words come out of her mouth laden with venom, and I find myself swallowing.

"Oh, there's no need to settle anything. Hachi already said he loves _me_."

"Huh? He told _me_ the same thing, idiot! We were both there!"

"Y-you two…" Both of them place a finger on my mouth to silence me, and shortly afterwards both of their fingers curl inwards, seemingly attempting to find their way inside my mouth.

"Hmmm… I believe that in a situation like this, there's only _one_ compromise we can reach."

"Wait, you're not talking about _that_, are you?"

"Well, it all depends on Hachi. Can you make a decision between the two of us?" One of the fingers stops its assault of my mouth, and I can see the girl it belongs to gently lick her finger, as if testing the taste of my lips from it.

"Yeah, tell us now!" The second finger leaves, and the girl lifts it up to suck on it like a lollipop.

"I… I can't… really…" I try to avert my gaze from the girls, but something is preventing me from doing so. _So even when I'm deathly afraid of them, I still can't look away from their beauty..._

"Then there really is only one choice, Hachi." One of the figures leans closer to me.

"It wasn't like, my number one choice, but it's probably the best – and _only –_ one right now, Hikio." The second figure followed suit, the both of them coming so close to me I could feel their hot breaths on my face.

"Neither of us want to give you up for anyone else…"

"...So we'll just have to _share_ you between the two of us!"

As I felt two pairs of lips pressing against my own, I only had one thought in my head.

_How the hell did it come to this?!_

* * *

_Love._

Poets would call it the most powerful force in the universe, chocolate companies would call it the driving force behind their increase in sales around February, single women past the age of thirty would call it nothing but a myth, and biologists would call it a chemical reaction in the brains of humans that compels us to ensure the survival of the human race.

Why did I suddenly feel _dread _at the third depiction? Scary. Single women past their thirties are scary. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes.

_Love._

Depending on who you ask, this curious emotion that humans exhibit means different things, just as there are different aspects of love. It is an emotion that ties closely with other emotions, and it is often said that this emotion, _love_, is what makes us _human_, what separates us from the rest of the animals living upon our planet. Though just as many people would also say that our _intelligence_ sets us apart from every other living being, we have to remember that there are extremely intelligent animals as well, mostly among our closest relatives, the primates. But, there are others as well, such as dolphins and octopuses, both of which have displayed remarkable intelligence among sea creatures. If only their lifespans weren't so limited, maybe they could do something with that intelligence of theirs. Give it a millennia or two and they'll develop opposable thumbs – that's when we're in trouble. I for one welcome our finned overlords, and I'm sure a certain marine biologist with a fascination for the aquatic mammals would agree with me. Perhaps he'll tell them the secret of his choice of headwear. Where does his hat end, and where does his hair begin? Just another one of the many mysteries of this universe that scientists have yet to answer. But I digress. Back to the topic at hand.

_Love._

As I said, when asked, many would tell you that _love _is the emotion that makes us _unique_ among the millions (Billions? Trillions? I couldn't tell you – I'm not that great at math) of living organisms that inhabit planet Earth. We can love our friends and family, our favourite foods, or our pets, each in different ways. And, of course, we can also love our… well, _lovers_. The _love _of the human race takes on many forms, and it can change between all of these, as well as between other emotions. Someone you initially hated may become the object of your affections, or your former crush might simply become your best friend. When we lose someone close to us, we mourn for them, and any time the person is mentioned in the future, all we feel is sadness. _Love _is truly a fascinating emotion, and calling it unique is definitely the right choice of words.

But, I believe it is incorrect to classify it as the reason we differ from other animals. Do many animals not stay with their mate for life? What reason would there be for this, if the most optimal way to ensure a species' survival is to mate with as many other members of your species as possible? When we shower our pets with affection and love, do they not show affection back to us (except Kamakura, of course. He is far too high and mighty to show affection for puny humans), and display signs of sadness when we are gone? And as evidenced by the largest land mammals, elephants, do animals not also mourn for their dead? They may lack the intelligence or means to hold ceremonies for their fallen brethren as we do, but they clearly show signs of mourning. If other animals were simply emotionless – _loveless –_ what reason would there be for any of these kinds of behaviours? Why would animals display signs of an emotion that we humans associate with our mental superiority? Or, perhaps the better question would be, why do _humans_ display a specific emotion, the signs of which can also be observed in other animals? This would suggest that the biologist's description of the emotion I mentioned previously would be the correct one: that the emotion known as "love" is simply the result of evolution, likely to help with bringing individuals within a species together – as there is strength in numbers – and encourage those individuals to reproduce. This would then obviously mean that there is nothing "_special_" about love, that it is simply another emotion with a purpose to help a species survive, like anger or fear. Love was, quite ironically, _romanticized _by humans. Without our convoluted ideas about love, it is simply something which draws individuals together for safety and reproduction – no matter the species.

Now, the dear person reading my mind, you might be wondering why exactly am I, Hikigaya Hachiman – the Monster of Logic and loner extraordinaire – monologuing about _love_? A subject which I have sworn to abstain from due to more or less traumatic past experiences with said subject, and the belief that the probability for said subject to ever be a part of my life is close to zero? The answer to that question is quite simple. As I'm sure you already know, dear mind reader, I am not the greatest at math, and probability calculation – as the name implies – involves a lot of math.

What I'm trying to say, is that my calculation about the probability of _love _ever being a part of my life was _more_ than a little incorrect, because I, Hikigaya Hachiman, still the Monster of Logic and loner extraordinaire…

..._have fallen in love_.

I know, it sounds completely unbelievable. Anyone who _really _knows me – so not a lot of people, as not that many know me in the first place – would simply laugh if I said this to them, which is also the reason why I am monologuing about it all by myself instead of telling anyone. When the riajuus laugh about me behind my back, I couldn't give a damn, but if it's those few people relatively close to me? That hurts. Anyway, even I am having a hard time believing it, but the conclusion I have come to after pondering about the matter for an extended period of time is clear. There is simply no other explanation for the curious phenomena I have experienced in the past couple of weeks, though whether or not my feelings have existed for longer than that? I couldn't say.

Ah, love. Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies, for inflicting this plight upon me.

But, no matter how much I curse and agonize over the matter, it won't change a thing – it won't change my _feelings_. It won't change the fact that I find my breath getting stuck in my throat every time I see _her _sitting at her usual spot, or how simply hearing _her_ voice causes my heartbeat to increase exponentially, or how I catch myself involuntarily staring at _her _whenever she does that thing with a stray strand of her hair and her index finder when she's thinking or reading, or how my eyes always find their way gazing down at _her_ lips, and how I wonder how they would taste, or how it would feel to stroke her beautiful, glistening hair, or-

Wait, stop.

…

Maybe I've been observing _her _a little too much. Bad brain! You're not allowed to get sidetracked like that during my inner monologues, we've been over this. No more sugary sweets for you! Actually, scratch that. My heart couldn't live without MAX.

Back to the point: my _feelings_.

I can't get rid of them, not any more. Usually problems are best dealt with by cutting it out by the roots, but I fear these roots have ingrained themselves too deep into me – too deep into my walled-off _heart –_ that attempting to cut them now would probably do more harm than good. And here I thought _Ingrain _was supposed to restore HP every round, not drain it. Heh. Anyway, I'm too far into the deep end now, as evidenced by my monologues – the only times I can be alone with my thoughts, truly safe and disconnected from the cruel world – already being infested with _her _presence, _her _face, _her _rare smile, _her _voice-

I'm doing it again.

Who knew _love _could have such power? Truly scary. If some scientist figures out how to transform _love _into a weapon of mass destruction, we would all be doomed.

So, if I can't get rid of the problem any longer, what should I do? Confessing my feelings -whether to the cause of those feelings, or someone else – is out of the question. I am the only one who knows about this, and I intend to keep it that way. Not even Komachi is allowed to know. Komachi _especially _is not allowed to know. With confessing not being an option, what am I left with? I _could _always keep these feelings entirely to myself, bottled up deep within the nigh-impenetrable fortress that is my heart (only nigh-impenetrable now, as _she _obviously managed to penetrate those defences) and just watch the days pass and see her slipping away from me, ultimately leaving me sad and alone. Okay yeah maybe not, that's just making me depressed, and I _never _want to experience that again. So, what does that leave me with? Well, dear mind reader, the answer is simple. I must do what I do best.

_Observe._

Now, given that even right now I am struggling to keep my thoughts straight and preventing them from being invaded by _her _yet again, a part of me is saying that I have already done a little _too _much observing, like I previously noted. However, I have come to the conclusion that it is currently the best course of action I could take. If I take the time to carefully observe _her_\- er... _the current situation_, I mean, I should be able to find and/or determine the next thing I should do. If I take a little bit of time to observe and analyse everything at close, it's only a matter of time before I can reach a sound conclusion to my conundrum. Totally does not have anything to do with the fact that I am completely hopeless as to what to do in this situation and simply want to have an excuse to spend more time looking at the person I am immensely attracted to.

No, that would be ludicrous. Hah! The mere thought is making me laugh.

_Sigh._

Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies!

Well, one more time cursing them won't do anything bad, right? It's not like they could make the situation any worse, like suddenly making me fall in love with a _second _girl. Yeah, right like that would happen. Or even worse, make a girl fall in love with _me_. Hah! Now _that's _comedy, simply _hilarious_.

Oh, but you might be wondering, dear mind reader, who could this unlucky girl who I have fallen for actually be? Well, given that reading the minds of others only happens in Science Fiction or Fantasy, _you _do not exist, dear mind reader. Thus, all of my monologuing has been kept safe and private, only in the knowledge of yours truly, just as it should be. Because of this, there is no risk in me revealing who this girl is, as I am not really "_revealing_" it to anyone but myself. So, to answer the question from my non-existent mind reader, the beautiful, amazing, perfect girl who I, Hikigaya Hachiman, have fallen in love with, is none other than one of the two queens of Soubu High…

_...Yukinoshita Yukino._


	2. Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Encounter

**AN: Hello again! Surprise quick update! I must say, I am quite pleased at the "success" of the previous chapter, with over 600 views and even a few reviews in the first day, though I did somewhat expect as much, given how large the Oregairu fanbase is. Still, having such a warm welcome is always nice. **

**The contents of this chapter were actually pre-written before I even published the Prologue, which is the reason as to why I am able to publish this chapter so quickly. Starting from now on, updates will _not _be daily, as I simply do not have the time for such luxuries. In fact, updates will most likely be on the slower end, given that I am horrible at keeping up a steady update schedule, as any of my previous readers will know. I will try my best at keeping updates every two weeks or so (as I am also working on another story simultaneously), but I cannot and will not make any promises on that. I apologize in advance for all the inevitable late updates.**

**Now with that out of the way, let's get the proper first chapter of _Checkmate _underway!**

* * *

**Chapter 1 – An Unexpected Encounter**

"...And that will be it for today's Modern Japanese. Remember to review your notes so you won't get caught like a deer in headlights when I decide that I've had enough of your slacking off and bring out a surprise test for you all. Class dismissed, go enjoy your lunch break, but make sure you're on time for mathematics." Hiratsuka-sensei's words seemed to echo in and out of my mind as I emptily stared at the blackboard, not paying attention to her as more pressing matters occupied my mind, until I was suddenly interrupted by the feeling of something hard colliding with my head.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" I cried out in pain and glared up angrily at the person who had dared to interrupt my thoughts, only to freeze in my tracks once my eyes met those of Hiratsuka-sensei, her face twisting into a smirk as she tapped me on the head with some rolled-up paper – gently, this time. _Is that the study material for this course? Do you have no respect for this magnificent learning institution that pays your wages?_

"If you continue to _daydream _during my class, we're going to have to have a talk, Hikigaya." Hiratsuka-sensei replied and crossed her arms under her more than ample bosom – which I was not looking at, mind you. "In all seriousness, though, you know you can come to my office at any time if you've got something troubling you." She then continued with a reassuring smile.

"Ah, no, I..." I was about to refute Hiratsuka-sensei's assumption that something was troubling me, but looking up at her confident and _compassionate_ expression made me falter, and I had to avert my gaze from her. _Damn it, sometimes her acting cool actually works. _"...Thanks, sensei."

"Don't sweat it, Hikigaya. Now, you better get a move on if you want to have enough time to eat lunch – I won't have you using me as an excuse for being late to mathematics." Hiratsuka-sensei gave me another light tap on the head, then walked back to her desk at the front of the classroom to pick up whatever she had left there. _It's not like I was planning on doing that anyway, __though I won't deny the ingenious of that idea. _I smirked to myself and glanced around the classroom as I got up.

Nearly everyone had left already, with only a handful of people left in the classroom. Tobe, Ooka and Yamato were in the midst of making their way out, while the rest of their clique (excluding Ebina, who seemed to be absent) stayed behind. Miura was talking about something or other with Hayama – quietly enough that I couldn't hear it – while simultaneously motioning for Yuigahama to leave. At least, that's what I guessed, given that the pink-haired girl began to make her way over to me, after giving Miura an awkward smile. _Alone time with Hayama, huh? __I wonder when she's going to open her eyes and see the _real _him. Not that I care that much. _

"Hikki!" The pitch of Yuigahama's normally ear-shattering voice was a tad bit lower than usual as she approached me while holding a bento box in her hands. _Has she finally learned that us loners have sensitive ears? No, that can't be it – it involves learning. _I stifled a chuckle while Yuigahama looked at me with a confused expression, then narrowed her eyes. "Hikki? You're thinking of something mean, aren't you?" _What?!_

"Since when did you become a mind reader?" Yuigahama pouted at me, before proceeding to lightly punch me on the arm.

"Don't admit it, Meanie-Hikki!" The pink-haired girl continued giving my arm punches, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught Miura glancing in our direction. _Okay, I know you're not putting much force into those punches, Yuigahama, but when there's many of them, it racks up in damage._

"Could you stop that, Yuigahama? I'm not fond of going out via _lingchi_." Yuigahama stopped at my request, then tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding what I had meant. "'_Death by a thousand cuts_'doesn't ring a bell? Never mind. What's up? Aren't you going to eat with them?" I asked and gestured towards Miura and Hayama, the latter of which noticed us and gave me a smile from the distance.

"Ah, w-well… I was thinking of going to the clubroom to eat with Yukinon." Yuigahama replied while raising her bento box and awkwardly scratching her cheek with her free hand. _Or rather, Miura told you to get lost while she goes off with Hayama._ "Do you want to come eat with us, Hikki?" The question – which I had expected, but did _not _want to hear nonetheless – made me flinch, and I instinctively looked away from Yuigahama.

"A-ah, I… I-I'm gonna s-stay here for lunch b-break, I think." I said, feeling my cheeks heating up slightly at the thought of meeting _her_. _Calm down, Hachiman. This is what you've been wanting to do, right? To be together with _her _to observe the situation. But not right now. I need a plan before I meet _her_._

"Hikki..?" Turning back to face Yuigahama after regaining control over my body heat, I felt my blood running cold as the emerald eyes of Miura Yumiko glared at me, the fire burning within them hot enough to give the sun a run for its money. _Ah, I guess staying here is a no-no, then…_

"I-it's nothing. Sorry, maybe next time." I replied, trying my best to ignore Miura's burning gaze. _Not sure whether that's an improvement from her ignoring me or not… _"I'll go grab something from the cafeteria."

"Okay. You'll… come to club today, though, Hikki?" Yuigahama then asked, a bit of concern in her voice. _As much as a part of me would like not to… I can't just do that to the two of them because of my own selfishness and cowardice. Gah, if this only didn't directly involve _her_, maybe I could talk to them about it… _I found myself gazing into Yuigahama's peach-red eyes for a few seconds, my brain ignoring the slight dusting of red appearing on her cheeks as I smiled to myself. _Maybe at some point… I'll be able to talk to Yuigahama about it. She's a good friend._

_Eugh, when did I become so sappy? My time with them has really changed me, huh… Even if I tried my best _not _to change. _Realizing that I had yet to answer the pink-haired girl's question I shook my head a little to clear my thoughts.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Don't worry, I won't just leave you two suddenly like that. I just have… some things I need to think about right now." Yuigahama simply looked back at me for a few seconds, before smiling and nodding to me.

"Alright. Hikki, you can always come to us about anything, you know? Like you did with… Well, you remember." Yuigahama averted her gaze from me and let out a little awkward laugh. _How could I forget probably the most embarrassing moment of my life? 'The Genuine thing'… Maybe this all will help me find that, whatever it is._

"Yeah, I remember." I replied and glanced towards Miura and Hayama, my eyes meeting the normie king's ones for a brief moment before I turned away from them. "Right, I'll pop by the cafeteria real quick. I'll… see you after lunch, I guess." Yuigahama nodded to me again, then sped past me, stopping briefly to look back at me at the door to the classroom.

"See you then, Hikki!" Yuigahama waved at me from the doorway, and I gave her a quick nod in reply before she exited the classroom. _Haah… Right, let's go buy some lunch before the Fire Queen burns down the classroom – with me inside it – with only her gaze._

Leaving the classroom behind out of courtesy for the Fire Queen and her "_gallant prince_" (_Hah!_), I began to make my way down the hallway towards the cafeteria, in the opposite direction of where Yuigahama had run off to. As it was lunch break, there were students practically everywhere, though they paid no attention to me thanks to my perfected _Stealth Hikk__y_ability, leaving me some quality alone time with my thoughts – a perfect time to come up with a plan of action.

So, to summarize the conclusion of my current situation that I came to after around half a dozen agonizing hours of inner monologues…

I am in love.

With Yukinoshita Yukino.

I'm _still_ having a hard time believing it myself, but given the signs I've observed over the past week or two, I can't argue against it any longer. Both the physiological and psychological signs and small changes that have puzzled me make complete sense that way. How it happened, though… I've yet to figure out. When and _how _exactly did I develop these feelings? How long have they brewed inside me before I realized what they were? I guess it could technically go all the way back to that fateful day when Hiratsuka-sensei forced me to join the Service Club, when I first stepped into that out-of-the-way classroom and saw her sitting there all alone. Back then, she kept everyone else at least three arm's length away from herself, unreachable by all the normie _plebeians_who couldn't even come close to her in beauty, grades, or athleticism. By the way, I was _not _one of those normie plebeians – I was just a _loner _plebeian, though I do also have the skills to come close to her in grades, as long as we are talking about modern Japanese. But, back to the point. From the first moments I saw her, Yukinoshita Yukino seemed _perfect_, in every meaning of the word. The lone _Ice Queen _of the north, so far from everything else that there simply existed no competition for her, almost like a certain German Battleship during the second World War. Now that I think about it, both of them are eclipsed by their better-known big sister as well… Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that the two of us are very different from each other. Yukinoshita Yukino is the epitome of perfection, while I am simply an insignificant water flea compared to her.

That really did sound like something she would say. I guess she really is infecting my brain. Curse you, love, for interfering with logical thought! I'm getting sidetracked again. _Ahem_.

So, Yukinoshita Yukino and I are completely different, so far apart that we might as well live on different planets. However, while there is the saying that "_opposites attract"…_ I don't believe that to be the case here. Firstly because I don't believe in that saying. If opposites really did attract, every popular normie girl would be head over heels for me, which quite obviously is not the case. But secondly – and most importantly – because while Yukinoshita Yukino and I are different… We are also _similar_. We have a lot of things in common, despite our conflicting ideals and opposing views of the world, and it's these things we have in common that slowly brought us closer over the course of the last… year? Almost, something like that. I did say that she _used to _keep everyone away from her _back then_, did I not? This is because she doesn't do that for _everyone _any longer.

Case and point: Yuigahama.

Oh, and I guess me as well, to some degree.

The three of us have gotten a lot closer during our time in the club, whether we want to admit it or not. I mean, just earlier, I was thinking of telling Yuigahama about my troubles relating to the Ice Queen of Soubu High, something which the me from a few months ago would never have done. As much as I hate the thought of it… I've opened up to them. The two girls from the Service Club have become very dear to me, one of them… well, _more _dear than the other. And, just as I have opened up to them, they have in turn opened up to me, and to each other. Well, I think Yuigahama was pretty much an open book right from the start, but Yukinoshita certainly wasn't, I'd even wager she sealed herself away from others even more than I did, although we both did that in different ways – yet another point towards how we are simultaneously so similar and yet so different. Over time, as Yukinoshita got more and more comfortable around us, she slowly opened up more and more, every time showing us – showing _me –_ little peeks into her heart. It was through these little peeks that I realized…

...Yukinoshita Yukino is _not_ a perfect girl.

She never was in the first place. It was simply the position she was elevated to by everyone else, and with her demeanour of keeping everyone away, that position became an accepted fact. And not even I could see past that initially, but as the days I spent in that clubroom turned to weeks, and then into months… I slowly began to understand her better.

Yukinoshita Yukino is not a perfect girl.

She has perfect or nigh-perfect grades, but is eclipsed in them all by her older sister, who she used to admire, but now regrets trying to follow in her footsteps.

She is athletic, but has poor stamina, and an even worse sense of direction, though she does not seem to be eager to tell about either of those things to others.

She is refined and elegant in both mannerisms and speech, but give her a cat or a _Ginni__e the Grue_ plush and she becomes anything but.

She has a cold and haughty demeanour, but is genuinely caring for the few people close to her, and even has a girly clumsiness to her – though it is rarely seen.

She is extremely prideful, competitive and confident, and yet even she can sometimes be insecure, or even _scared_.

She is strong and independent enough to stand on her own against the world and its cruelness, but needs someone to be there for her, a pillar she can lean against in times of need.

Yukinoshita Yukino is a strong girl.

But she is also weak.

Very few people get to see the other side of the coin, what she is really like under all of her defences. And yet, all aspects of her are… well, _her_. She wears no mask like her sister does, she simply acts according to how she sees fit, and the outside perspective from everyone else twists that into something else, something _cold_ and _arrogant_. And while she is both of those things to some degree… that is not all there is to her. She becomes a _paradox_, in a way, just like mine and her relationship, our "_friendship_".

And I _love _her for that.

…

I can't think of many ways to make that sound cheesier than it already was. I really have fallen head over heels for her, huh? And just when I'd come comfortable with the idea that I would simply stay as my loner self for the rest of eternity. Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies!

Sigh.

Well, I've gone through this multiple times already in the past few days, but there's nothing I can do any more. I've already fallen in love. But, there is nothing a good bit of observation won't solve. "_If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles._", as the world-famous Sun Tzu wrote in his _Art of War_. While the direct meaning doesn't exactly apply to this situation, it does bring up the importance of observation, for how will you know your enemy without observing them? If observation was important to a master military strategist in times of war, then it will be at least twice as important to a high school student in love.

And, as I'm sure Kaguya-sama would agree: Love _is _War.

Hence, my current plan. I will go about my days as usual (or try to) and give no indication whatsoever about my newfound feelings, while at the same time observing the situation, observing _Yukinoshita Yukino_. I know a direct confession will lead to nothing but misery, so I must find out what she _really _thinks of me first, and try to find an opportune to moment to – _possibly –_ confess. Of course, I would prefer not to do that simply out of how depressing the thoughts I have of any possible outcomes are, but I've come to accept that eventually, it will have to happen. Knowing whether or not the chance I'll get rejected is guaranteed, or just really big, is a key part in what I'll be doing moving forward.

But, I will not just be observing _her_, but also _myself_. I like to think I know myself pretty well, but if I'm to abide by Sun Tzu's teachings, I must know myself _completely_. There is always the possibility that these feelings I have are _not _the conclusion I have come to, and observation will lead to the answer to that. Only then can I know if these feelings really are _love_, or something else, such as simple affection, a small _crush_, if you will. Once I know myself, and know my "enemy" – in this case, Yukinoshita – I will be able to "come clean" about my feelings.

And then get rejected, of course. I've already prepared for it.

Then again… I don't want to sound like I'm _hopeful_, but… There is a small part of me telling me that rejection may _not _be the outcome. I'm not saying I believe she would _accept _the confession, but… Well, let's just say that I am not _completely _dense to the things going on around me. That same part of me is saying that Yukinoshita didn't simply open up to me because we worked together on requests for the club and got to know each other better as a result, that there is _something else _behind that, some form of _interest _that she has towards me. Now, I highly doubt that interest is the result of any possible _feelings _she might harbour towards me, but I cannot ignore that part of me, even if I wanted to. It all comes back to Sun Tzu's philosophy of having to know myself: if I ignored something a part of me was saying to me, can I really say I know myself?

Okay, that turned a little more philosophical than I originally intended.

"Oi! Watch where you're going!" A sudden voice pulled me out of my monologuing, and I looked towards its source to see a miffed-looking third-year student glaring at me while holding his shoulder. At the same time, I became aware of the packaged bread I was holding in my right hand, and the fact that I was currently standing outside the cafeteria, facing away from it. _Huh, it seems I've now mastered combining two of my 108 skills, 'Autopilot' and 'Inner Monologue', allowing me to use both of them at the same time – as long as I maintain concentration. Fancy that. _Realizing the third-year was still expecting an apology from me, I quickly gave him a small bow.

"Sorry about that." The third-year student huffed at me, then walked off, and I clicked my tongue once he was a good few metres away. To be completely honest, I couldn't care less about apologizing to him, and if he wasn't a senpai, I likely would have not done so. I may be a loner, but I do still have manners, you know?

Stepping to the side to avoid any further accidents involving bumping into others, I pulled out my phone with my free hand and checked the time. _I've still got about fifteen minutes before lunch break ends… Plenty of time. _I pocketed my phone and began to walk down the hallway, one I had walked down many times before. You see, this particular hallway was not used by many students that often, given that there were no classrooms by it, and lead to a relatively secluded spot I had secured for myself for a nice, calm lunchtime. I am of course talking about the wonderful place near the tennis courts, where one can sometimes see the tennis club practising – something which I had done many a time while eating lunch, or treating myself to a nice can of MAX.

Speaking of MAX, the hallway also has a vending machine that sells the heavenly beverage, so it's a double-win.

Reaching into my pocket, I took out some change I always keep in there – the exact amount a can of MAX costs. I have to be ready for everything, you know? You never know when the craving for MAX appears.

Walking through the empty hallway was a welcome change to how packed full the rest of the building had been. _With it being winter and all, I don't blame them for wanting to stay inside during breaks. However, they are missing out on the 9__th__ wonder of the world: the feeling of __drinking a nice, warm can of MAX while sitting out in the cold and watching Chiba live on even when the temperature is freezing. Truly wonderful._

_By the way, the 8__th__ wonder of the world is the overwhelming power of little sisters. And no, I'm not a siscon!_

Finally arriving at the vending machine, I put in the coins I had taken out of my pocket and pressed the button for MAX, picking up the heated can a few moments later. _Ahh… Whoever came up with vending machines offering warm drinks during autumn and winter months and cold ones during the warmer months needs a medal. They are a national hero! _Tucking the can into my blazer, I continued down the hallway with a satisfied smile on my face. _Now with that taken care of…_

_...It's time to have a serene lunch by myself to think things through before I'm forced back into the presence of others._

* * *

"Yukinon! Yahhallo!" Hearing the ever-energetic voice of Yuigahama accompanied by the sound of the door being slid open, I lifted my gaze from the book I had been reading and looked towards the pink-haired girl.

"Hello, Yuigahama-san." I replied with a small smile, placing my bookmark on the page I was on as I closed the book in my hands. "You... came for lunch, then?"

"Mm-hmm." Yuigahama nodded as she walked up to me, placing the bento box she was holding onto the table before pulling her chair next to mine. "There's quite a bit today, so I was thinking we could maybe share?" Yuigahama took off the lid of her bento box, and I looked down at it hesitantly, scanning the various bits of food within it. _Rice balls, cooked vegetables, broiled salmon… It all _seems _normal, but…_

"...Are you sure this is edible, Yuigahama-san?" I asked and lifted my gaze to meet the eyes of my companion. "Sorry, it's just that I still cannot be sure if your cooking skills are adequate enough to be used to feed another human being." My words came out sounding a little meaner than I had intended, but Yuigahama didn't seem to be too bothered, only pouting at me a little.

"I-I have gotten better, Yukinon! Besides, this was made by my mom, so you can be sure it's good! Come on, taste it!" In a flash, Yuigahama had picked up a cooked slice of bell pepper with her chopsticks and was offering it to me, a radiant smile rivalling even those of Isshiki's on her face.

"I… I'm good, but thank you, Yuigahama-san. I have my own lunch." I politely refused the girl's offer and reached out for my own bento box, though my words had little effect on the girl, as she kept slowly inching the bell pepper towards my mouth with a pleading look on her face. I stared into the peach-red eyes of the girl for a few seconds releasing a sigh of defeat and – still somewhat reluctantly – opened my mouth and accepted the food she had offered me. _Hmm… Well, at least it's edible. Doesn't top anything I could make myself, but it's still quite tasty._

"Isn't my mom's cooking just the best, Yukinon?" Yuigahama asked with excitement in her voice as she took a bite out of a rice ball and let out a little squeal as she chewed on it.

"I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'the best', but it was adequate. Your mother is a skilled cook, so there's still hope for you, Yuigahama-san." I said as I opened my own bento box, then glanced at the tea set on the side table. "Would you like some tea? Sorry I didn't have any ready in advance, as I wasn't sure if you were going to come or not." I then asked, but received no response as Yuigahama's gaze was fixated on my bento. "Yuigahama...san?"

"Yukinon… This is so cute! Did you make these yourself?" Yuigahama nearly shouted as she used her chopsticks to pick up one of the rice balls I had in my bento – one I had decorated to look like a cat. _Ah… I forgot… _

"I… Well… Y-yes, I did. Is there a problem with that?" I replied and looked away from Yuigahama, feeling my embarrassment growing with each passing second. _I saw people did things like that online, calling it 'kyaraben' or something along those lines, and wanted to give it a go myself. In hindsight, doing something like that by myself to my own lunch is quite embarrassing…_

"Why would there be a problem? This looks cute!" I turned around just as Yuigahama placed the rice ball – _my _rice ball – into her mouth, letting out another squeal of joy as she tasted it.

"Ah, Yuigahama-san… that was… mine..." The pink-haired girl didn't listen to me as she happily chewed down the rice ball I had spent quite a bit of time creating this morning, before swallowing and then grabbing me by the shoulders.

"You have to teach me how to make those! That tasted even better than it looked! Oh, do you think you could make Sablé? That would be so cute! Although I don't know if it would feel weird to eat a rice ball that looked like him..." Yuigahama pulled back one of her arms as she seemingly began to think, her eyebrows scrunching together.

"Um… Yuigahama-san…" Upon hearing her name, the girl was brought back out of her thoughts and looked at me questioningly. "You… just ate one of my rice balls..." Suddenly realizing what she had just done, Yuigahama quickly let go of me and pressed her hands together in apology.

"Ah! I'm sorry, Yukinon! Here, you can have one of mine as compensation!" Before I could react, Yuigahama had already moved one of her remaining rice balls into my bento, then beamed another radiant smile at me.

"I… You didn't have to, Yuigahama-san." I replied and glanced down at the rice ball Yuigahama had given me, now sitting next to the second rice ball I had decorated – also to look like a cat. "Just be sure to ask next time, okay?" Yuigahama nodded to me enthusiastically before returning to her lunch, and I let out a small sigh as I turned back to my own meal as well. _She can be such a handful sometimes…_

"Ah… having lunch with you is the best, Yukinon! I think I might like it more than having lunch with Yumiko and the others." Yuigahama commented as we ate. "Hikki's really missing out, I'm sure we could have fun with the three of us here." And just like that, with the mention of _one _name, I froze in place.

_Hikigaya-kun._

"What… do you mean by that, Yuigahama-san?" I asked and slowly turned to face the girl again. "Don't we all… well, '_have fun_' during club?"

"N-no, that's not what I meant. I just asked Hikki to come eat lunch with us, but he declined, saying he had some things he needed to think about, or something." Yuigahama replied as she looked into the distance while placing some salmon into her mouth. "I told him he could talk to us any time something is up, but… Well, I'm sure he'll ask for our help if it's something serious. Hikki is Hikki, after all." Yuigahama turned to me with a smile, and I gave her a smaller one in return before turning to look outside the window at the winter scenery.

"Yes… after _that_, I don't think even Hikigaya-kun would keep that many things from us." The scene I had played so many times in my head was replayed once again as I gazed outside. _Hikigaya-kun wants something _genuine…_ Hikigaya-kun… wants… Hikigaya-kun…_

_Hikigaya-kun…_

_Hikigaya-kun._

_Hikigaya-kun._

…

_Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kun. Hikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikigaya-kunHikiga-_

"I guess you're right, Yukinon. I still think he should talk to us more. We are his friends, aren't we?" Yuigahama's words caused me to jump as I returned to reality, and upon realizing that I had once again dozed off, I began to quickly chow down on my food.

"Y-yes, I-I think so too. It's not healthy to keep your troubles to yourself." _Hypocrite. _"Talking about your feelings with others can be a big help." _Hypocrite._

"Hmmm… I wonder if we can help him, though..? Well, I think it'll all work out if we think about it together, if we ever need to help Hikki again. And… maybe we can help him find that _thing _he was seeking, right?" I spared a glance at Yuigahama, who was looking at me expectantly.

"Yes, I believe we can." _Though that is something you don't need to worry about any more, Yuigahama-san._

_I've already found that which Hikigaya-kun seeks._

_Me._

Realizing my thoughts were once again wandering towards _something_ I had only discovered about myself recently, I quickly cleared my thoughts by focusing back on my food. _Calm down, Yukino. You need to keep a clear head during school and your thoughts rational. And, you care about Yuigahama-san as well, do you not? You don't wish for anything _bad _to happen to her. Although, if it does come to that… No! I can't think like that. Yuigahama-san is a… a friend. _I glanced towards the pink-haired girl on my right, who I could hear was talking about something or other as she ate, but I didn't pay attention to it. _That's right, she's a friend. She'll understand._

_She'll understand that the genuine thing Hikigaya-kun seeks…_

_...Can only be found with _me_._

I felt a smile growing on my face as Yuigahama's words floated by me, not even registering in my brain. _But in case she _doesn't _understand that… No, she _has _to. I'll _make _her understand if it comes to that. _

…

_Y__ou're doing it again, Yukino. Now is not the time to think like this. First, I need to make the most important person in the equation understand it._

_Hikigaya-kun._

"...Isn't that right, Yukinon?" Yuigahama suddenly leaned closer to me, and I nearly jumped out of my chair at her sudden question – whatever it was.

"Eh? S-sorry, I didn't hear you. What was that, Yuigahama-san?" I politely asked, trying to hide the fact that I was not listening to my companion at all. _These tendencies for me to doze off have been more frequent recently… __I need to keep my thoughts in check._

"Um… N-never mind. It wasn't that important." Yuigahama said with an awkward laugh, and I felt a twinge of guilt going through me. _Did she… realize I wasn't listening? That makes me feel a bit bad, now… But I just can't help myself. _I looked away from Yuigahama as an awkward silence fell upon us, fixating my gaze on the remnants of my bento._ Whenever Hikigaya-kun is mentioned, or he otherwise appears in my head… I can't get him out of there. I knew he and I always had something… _unique _together, but I only noticed this beginning to happen __some weeks ago__, how I would simply get lost on my thoughts when I was thinking of him. I would get distracted whenever I heard his voice, and would steal small glances at him as he silently read in the clubroom. It didn't take long to realize…_

_I had fallen in love with Hikigaya-kun._

_Quite possibly a long time ago as well, though I couldn't say for sure. But, due to Yuigahama-san's feelings towards him, and the lack of a proper chance, I never acted upon my own feelings. But then… When I saw him together with Isshiki-san when we were working on the christmas project… something changed. The way she _clung _to him like he was her _possession_, how easily she wrapped her little finger around him…_

_It _infuriated _me. And there are very few things that make me truly angry in this world._

_I think it was then when I realized that I had competition. Not only did Yuigahama-san feel something towards Hikigaya-kun, it became clear that Isshiki-san did as well. Unfortunately for them, they are going up against Yukinoshita Yukino._

_And Yukinoshita Yukino does _not _lose._

_There might even be others I do not know of, someone else who has their sights on Hikigaya-kun. _My _Hikigaya-kun. But they do not know who they are provoking. For if the competition gets too aggressive…_

_...one simply has to eliminate it._

"Yukinon? Is everything all right?" Yuigahama broke the silence between us with a question full of concern, and I immediately realized that I had let my thoughts wander again – and the contents of my thoughts _scared _me. _What am I thinking? When… When did I become like this..?_

"Sorry, Yuigahama-san. Just… I've got things on my mind. I apologize if I was not fully into the conversation earlier." I apologized with a small smile as I looked back at the pink-haired girl sitting next to me. "Nee-san has been bothering me as of late, and I think our mother may be planning something as well, so you can understand if I'm a bit out of it." Some may call it a white lie, but Yukinoshita Yukino does not lie. I simply didn't tell her the truth. _Nee-san is always bothering me, whether it's over something trivial or an actually serious matter, and I know for certain that our mother is planning something – she always is, after all._

"That's okay, Yukinon." Yuigahama replied, then suddenly captured me in a hug. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Hikki: You can always come to us, for anything. If things go bad, we're here to support you. That's what friends do." Yuigahama pulled back a little as she looked into my eyes, though she still kept me firmly in her embrace.

"_Arigatou_, Yuigahama-san." I smiled at the pink-haired haired girl, who returned the gesture to me before hugging back onto me tighter. _These thoughts… these feelings… They are not simply jealousy. I am above that. __No, this is… something else. What reason would I have to be jealous for, when my competition is no match for me in the first place? That's right. It's only a matter of time…_

_...before Hikigaya-kun is completely _mine_, and mine alone._

* * *

_...__Or I guess not._

A few moments ago, I had stepped outside into the crisp, cold winter air, taken a deep breath, and prepared to sit down for a nice and peaceful lunch alone with a can of warm MAX to help with figuring out a way to deal with Yukinoshita during club. Or, that was the plan, at least, until I noticed that something was _off _about my favoured lunch spot. Very few students used this door, so very few students knew of this serene place near the tennis courts, and I was one of them. So, on a winter day like this, I had expected to be able to eat here in peace and silence by myself.

Keyword being _expected_, as I was currently gazing down at the eyes of another person.

"Oh, it's you." The girl's voice was unsteady, and her words came out quieter than I had expected. But, my attention was on something else. For her olive-green eyes were red and swollen, the makeup she had around them messy – as if she had been _crying_.

"Miura..?" The blonde looked away from me as she sat on the cold ground, hugging her knees to her chest. _How… long has she been sitting there like that? __And more importantly… _why _is she here in the first place?_

"So it's reached your ears already, huh? Go on then, if you're here to make fun of me, get on with it. Kick me while I'm down, isn't that like, what you do best?" Miura said with quivering lips and tried to glare at me, though with her teary eyes, the look didn't quite have its desired effect. _Make fun of her? What happened?_

"I… don't know what you're talking about, Miura. I'm just here to eat my lunch." I replied to the blonde, then took out my phone to check the time. _And it seems I'm going to stay here and do just that. It would be a waste of time to go back now. _I let out a small sigh and walked over to where Miura was sitting at, then sat down as well – a respectable distance away from her, of course.

"You… really don't know what happened?" I gave Miura a glance as I removed my bread from its packaging, taking a small bite out of it before responding.

"No, I don't. As I said, I'm just here to eat my lunch. This is a quiet place where I can be alone with my thoughts, even for a little while." As I finished, a cold breeze washed over us, and I felt a chill going through me. More alarmingly, however, Miura seemed to shrink as she pulled her legs even closer to herself, her entire body shivering as she rubbed her hands together for warmth. While we both had our blazers on to provide some level of resistance against the cold, Miura had obviously been out here for longer than I had, and seeing the girl in such a sorry state caused my _brotherly instincts _to flare up. _Ah screw it. _"...I don't know what happened to you, and a part of me doesn't really care, but…" Miura turned to face me as I reached into my blazer and pulled out the can of MAX from within it, still warm to the touch. "...Seeing a girl crying out in the cold is not something I'm fond of. Here, this'll help you warm up." I extended my hand out to Miura, holding the can of MAX in front of her, while the blonde's green eyes stared first at me, then at the can, completely flabbergasted by my words and actions.

"Hikio…" Miura reached out for the can, but hesitated, before her face scrunched up into a scowl. "You _are_ mocking me!" I let out another sigh and moved closer to Miura, pushing the can into her hands.

"I have no reason to do so. Just take it before the hypothermia kicks in." Miura looked like she was about to retort, as per her arrogant attitude, but stopped herself from doing so and instead meekly wrapped her hands around the can, her fingers briefly brushing against mine as I let go. _So cold… _"...I have common courtesy, you know? I wouldn't want you freezing yourself out here." _Besides, I would likely take the blame if people knew I was here with her, and that's definitely something I don't want._

"...Thanks, Hikio." Miura muttered quietly as she brought the can close to herself, warming up her hands with it, and I silently began to eat my bread again. _If I had to guess, though… This definitely has something to do with Hayama. Did that slimy riajuu bastard finally show his true colours to her when they were alone in the classroom? __I might have my flaws, but at least I don't make women cry. _"Hikio?" Upon hearing Miura's voice, I turned back to look at the girl, our eyes briefly meeting before she averted hers, looking down at the ground as she bit her lip. "You… You're like… _perceptive_, right? And can… see through people?" I raised an eyebrow at Miura's odd question, but slowly nodded to her nonetheless. "What… What do you think of Hayato? Or rather, what do you think he's _really _like?" After her initial question about my skills, I had almost half-expected her to ask me about Hayama, but hearing it out loud still surprised me a little. _Something definitely happened between the two of them…_

"Hayama? Well… I'm going to be brutally honest with you, so please don't hit me." Miura's face twisted into a scowl for a moment, likely due to my suggestion that she would resort to violence as the first thing, but then closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"I don't mind. I didn't want you to beat around the bush anyway." Miura replied to me, and I internally let out a sigh of relief. _I wonder how she would react if I told her I was genuinely scared of her hitting me… I don't really want to find out._

"Right, well… He's an insufferable normie, for starters. But that's not all. Hayama is… he's _artificial_. Everything he says, everything he does, it's all an act, his personality nothing but a mask that he wears to appeal to others and to manipulate them. And that mask of his is firmly planted onto his face, but I can take pride in knowing that _I _have managed to crack it, on more than one occasion." I felt a slight smirk forming on my face, while Miura stayed silent as she listened to me, her gaze fixated on me. "And the _thing _underneath that mask? It's like seeing what lies behind _Entoma's _mask for the first time. Although, I personally find her quite '_creepy-cute_' in a way, but the same does not apply for Hayama… Anyway, his real personality is not a pleasant one. He is cold, unfriendly, prideful to the point of haughtiness, and just generally not the '_nice guy_' he acts like. All in all… he's not _genuine_. He picks no sides and wants everything to stay the same, stagnant and unchanging. And while I do agree that keeping things the way they are is good… how he goes about doing it is wrong. Even I've learned that things must change in order for them to move forwards. Stagnation is never good." I turned to look at Miura, meeting her gaze with my own again, and I could see her grip on the can of MAX tightening.

"So it's true, then..." Miura said, and for a moment she looked like she was going to cry again. "I… I suspected that something was _off _with Hayato. I've been suspecting it for… a few weeks, already. I've like, seen how he acts around you every now and then, and it was always… _different_. At first I thought that he was like, just being nice to you, and I kinda admired him for that, but… You said you could cause his _mask _to crack, and I think… I think I started to see those cracks as well." _So she started to see him for who he really was… Maybe I've judged Miura too harshly. _"I doubted myself at first, of course. But after I like, first began to notice that something was off, I started seeing it more and more. The way he acted in our clique, how he talked with you, how he always kept abiding to the status quo, there was always like, something _more _to it all that I couldn't quite place. At the same time, I started to doubt whether or not keeping the status quo was worth it. I… I was _afraid_. Afraid of losing it, losing the _friends _I cared about, but I was also afraid of what would happen if we let it be. How we would eventually separate after we graduated, never to see or talk again as our _fragile _friendships vanished like smoke into air." Miura seemed to shiver again, though this time I didn't think it was due to the cold, as she gazed off into the distance, towards the tennis courts. _That undoubtedly would have happened. Their entire clique relies on Hayama and his social skills, he is the glue that keeps them together, because that results in the best outcome for him. That's also why he wants to keep the status quo as it is, because he knows the moment he loses it, they will fall apart. He knows how truly fragile and _fake _it is, and now… Miura seems to have realized that too in the fullest. _"It… it was stressing me out, and I didn't know what to do. On one hand, I wanted to keep the status quo, because we were all satisfied like this. But on the other… I _didn't _want to keep the status quo. I _wasn't _satisfied with how things were. It's like you said, stagnation isn't good, and we can only move forwards by changing. That, and I also began to doubt Hayato. I could now begin to see something was off about him, even with his '_mask_' on, and I… I wanted to know whether it was true, whether or not he was being genuine with us." Miura's nails dug into the can she was holding, managing to dent the metal slightly. _Oi! I paid for that!_ "Today… I couldn't take it any longer. I _needed _to know the truth, I _needed _to see if I was simply wrong, and everything was going to be all right, and if they weren't, I _needed _to try and _change _things." Miura turned to face me again, looking even more like tears would spill from her eyes at any moment, then took a sharp intake of breath. "I… I _confessed _to him. I told him I loved him, and asked him to go out with me." Miura bit her lip, and I dropped my gaze. _I see now._

"...And he rejected you." My words caused Miura to wince a little as she hugged onto her legs tighter. _I know your pain, Miura. Though, I would wager that for you, the pain was much worse than it was for me._

"Hayato said it wasn't '_the correct time_'. That we shouldn't think of something like that right now, but that he was apparently pleased to hear me say it, and said that he would consider it later on." Just hearing Hayama's excuses coming from Miura hurt me. _I expected as much if Miura ever _did _confess, but damn, that's harsh… _"...It was all I needed to hear to know that I was right, that my fears were confirmed. I couldn't stand it any more, so I cried, all while asking him just one thing: _why_. _Why _was he like this? _Why _was he afraid of moving forward, _why _did he want things to stay in stagnation, and _why _does he… _lie _to us?" I saw a tear forming in Miura's eye, but she quickly wiped it away and continued with her emotional outburst. "He was shocked at first, but quickly realized what I meant, that I had seen past his mask. The first thing he asked from me was – get this – if I had talked to _you_, then continued to say that I shouldn't believe everything you said. Hayato was always a little unreadable, but then… His face was a mix of _disgust_, _jealousy _and… something else, and that's not even mentioning his voice. I've _never _heard Hayato sound so _cold _before when talking about someone else." _So he did show his true persona to her… _"After that, he said that we should just forget what happened, go get lunch and then act like we always did. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and while the gesture would have normally made me like, all giddy and stuff, all it did then was make my _outraged_. How _could _I just forget that, and ignore it?! I blew out all my frustrations by pushing him away, before _slapping _him and running out of the classroom. And now I'm here, venting all this out to _you _of all people." _Heh, Miura slapping Hayama? Now that is a sight I would have _loved _to see. _"So, go on then. Laugh at me. Make fun of me. I know I'm pathetic, so I deserve it. I wasted away these past two years chasing after a faker, and now my artificial friendships are about to collapse." Miura wiped away another tear as she looked me square in the eye, waiting for me to do as she wanted me to.

But I wasn't going to do that.

Miura was not pathetic, and there was no reason to make fun of her. In fact, I now believe she is the _opposite _of pathetic. While she may have fallen for a fake persona and chased after them for years, it wasn't her fault – it was _Hayama's_.

He _used _her, giving very little in return. Hayama manipulated Miura and got her to act as his "_girl repellent_" while simultaneously satisfying his idea of an "ideal" High School friend group, no matter how artificial it was. Over time, Miura grew accustomed to the idea and atmosphere, and eventually realized that her clique was a fragile piece of porcelain tableware, easily broken by something as simple as an argument, or a romantic relationship. However, she accepted that simply all friend groups were like that – likely due to more manipulation from Hayama.

And yet, she _genuinely _cared for those people. Even if the reasons for them being together, and the forces that kept them together, were artificial, for her, their _bonds _were not. Yuigahama, Ebina, Hayama and the rest, they were all true friends to her, so when Hayama pushed the idea that maintaining the status quo – remaining in _stagnation_ – was required to keep them together… she tried to do just that, because she _genuinely _cared for them, and the bonds they had formed.

So, when she began to realize that all of those precious bonds were built on lies upon lies, that the clique she cared so much about could crumble away at any moment, what did she do? If Miura was pathetic, as she says, she would have done _nothing_. She would have kept to the status quo, while watching it slowly die out until graduation day. She may have still kept in contact with some of the people in her clique, I'm sure at least Yuigahama and Ebina would have gladly texted or called her, but the same dynamic would never be there.

No, instead of being pathetic, she tried to be _brave_. She tried to change things, while she still had the chance, to remove the stagnating status quo and forge _genuine _friendships with the others, ones that would last well after graduation.

And that is admirable.

Not many people would dare to go against the status quo, whether the one in their own circle, or the larger one that encompasses us all. Humans are afraid of change, for it represents the new and unknown. We are most comfortable in familiar places, with familiar people, with a familiar atmosphere. I am afraid of change, Hayama is afraid of change, _everyone _is afraid of change, to some degree. But there are those of us who go against that fear, who go out of their way to change things, because change is needed. I've… changed _a little_, by opening up to my clubmates, but Miura? She has tried to change the very _foundation_ of her High School life.

Perhaps I didn't think of her highly enough, after all.

"...I'm not going to laugh at you, Miura." I said to break the silence between us, and Miura looked back at me with a confused expression. "What you've done is not pathetic in any way, and anyone who says so can go to hell. I'll be honest with you again..." I paused for a moment, thinking whether or not I should add a request for her to not hit me, but seeing Miura's expression as she looked at me expectantly, even a little _hopefully_, I decided against it. "...I used to think you were just an arrogant, riajuu _bitch_, who was on top of the social ladder and knew it. A fiery queen who burned down any opposition in her domain, while blindly trying to court her king." Miura's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, but she kept silently watching me. "The keyword there was _used to think_. I… have observed you and your clique for an extended period of time, so my opinion of you has changed. While you definitely were arrogant, you are also caring, almost _motherly_, when it came to your friends – especially if I believe everything I've heard Yuigahama tell Yukinoshita about you." Miura's cheeks became tinted red, and she averted her gaze from me for a few moments, but looked back when I continued speaking. "But now, hearing what you've said… my opinion has changed again. Over the course of the past year or so, I've learned that people _can _in fact change, and can do so of their own volition. Source: _Me_. You standing up to Hayama, trying to change things in your clique, it clearly shows you've _grown _as a person. If real life was an Anime, you'd call it _character development_. And just as you as a person have changed… so too have the opinions of others about you. Well, so far, it's only _my _opinion that has changed, but you get what I mean. So, don't go calling yourself pathetic, when you're now the completely opposite. The self-deprecating remarks are kind of my thing, anyway." I smiled wryly and turned my gaze away from Miura, looking up at the sky. _Haah… look at me, giving counsel to someone who essentially just got dumped. Well, I can't help feeling bad for her, even if we are complete opposites, and have been at odds more than once. Plus, I do genuinely think what she did was admirable. It was certainly something Hayama – or I, for that matter – would__n't__ be brave enough to do. Though, I would never admit that, of course._

"...You're actually a good guy, Hikio..." Hearing Miura's voice, I turned back to the blonde, who was looking down at the still-unopened can of MAX in her hands as she twiddled her fingers around it.

"Please, Miura. I may not be a _bad _guy, but I wouldn't call myself a good guy." I replied and glanced down at my bread, taking the last bit left into my mouth.

"No, you _are _actually a good guy, Hikio." I looked towards Miura again, and was momentarily stunned as I saw her looking back at me with a smile – a _genuine _smile. "Yui talks about you a lot, you know. How you're like, always willing to help others, yet never claiming to have done anything significant. Or how you're genuinely kind underneath that stoic grumpiness of yours. I mean, look at us. You described me as an arrogant bitch, and you certainly haven't been hiding your dislike of me in the past, yet you still always helped me. And even now, you listened to me pouring out my feelings to you, and even offered me words of kindness and reassurance afterwards." Miura's eyes seemed to glaze over, gaining a beautiful emerald sheen to them as her smile widened. "No-one has ever done so much for me. Not even my friends, not even Hayato. _Arigatou_, Hikio." Another breeze flew past, tousling around Miura's hair like a cliché scene from a Rom/Com, and I found myself unable to move, or even look away. I always knew Miura was pretty – the whole school knew that – but what I saw at that moment?

Astonishingly _beautiful_, on par with the one and only Yukinoshita Yukino.

Her smile was the realest smile I had ever seen, her teary eyes had no trace of the burning hellfire I was used to seeing, instead glowing with a pleasant warmth as if summer had been brought down in the middle of winter, and her golden locks flowed in the wind as stray snowflakes were blown all around her, likely from a nearby roof. Rarely had I seen a scene as beautiful and serene as that, the most notable one being when I first stepped into the Service Club clubroom last spring.

_Thu-thump_

Once Miura shivered from the cold wind and huddled back up, seeking the warmth from her can of MAX, I managed to shake myself out of my stunned state and quickly averted my gaze from her, feeling my clearly increased heartbeat in my chest. _Calm down, heart! That sneak attack was an unexpected critical hit… And with my defence lowered due to certain Ice Queen's influence on my heart, I was nearly knocked out… Haah… that was close…_

"Uh, I… _Y-you're welcome_, I guess." I mumbled out, stealing glances at Miura but not daring to look back at her. "I didn't really do much, though. I just happened to be the person you ran into first, anyone would have been able to do the same." I heard a slight giggle coming from Miura's direction.

"There you go again, downplaying yourself. But like, I can kinda see now why Yui thinks so highly of you, the infamously hated loner of Soubu High." Another giggle escaped from Miura's mouth, and I felt myself getting a little irritated by her. "Sorry, I'm just a little emotional right now. I… I needed to get everything off my chest. Thanks for listening, Hikio." I looked back towards Miura, seeing her wipe her eyes with her sleeve.

"...I still think someone else would have been better for this, like one of your friends." Miura shook her head at me, then began to idly inspect the can in her hands.

"No, it was perfect this way, Hikio. I couldn't really go to Yui for this, since she was with Yukinoshita, Hina is ill, and none of the guys would have understood, other than the fact that Hayato had rejected me. Besides, I wouldn't want to involve my friends in this mess, not yet." Miura lifted her gaze to meet mine again. "You were the perfect person to talk to about this." I looked away from Miura, unable to say anything back to her. _I mean… I guess technically she is correct. I'm an outsider to all this, but I know arguably the most about it, __precisely __due to my knowledge gained from my outsider perspective. __In that sense, __I guess __it was best for her to __talk to me about this… _"Haah… Thanks again, this helped me a lot." I looked back towards Miura as she spoke, and opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off before I could say anything. "Don't say you didn't do anything, Hikio. You _listened_, which is already more than enough, but you also comforted me – and not just with empty words either. It's as I said, you've done more for me than anyone has _ever _done." Miura paused for a bit as she fiddled with her can of MAX, before finally opening it. "Heh, a shame that honour had to be given to the likes of you."

"Oi, don't praise me in one sentence and then mock me in the next. You're contradicting yourself, woman." Miura giggled again at my reply, and all I could do was sigh at her.

"It's surprisingly fun talking with you…" Miura said with a cheeky smile and a wink, then took her first sip of MAX, her eyes immediately widening as she pulled the can back away, her gaze frantically shifting between the can and me. "...Hikio." A sudden feeling of dread washed over me. _Was this her first time drinking MAX? __I know the first time can often be a bit overwhelming, but- _"Why have you been hiding this?! I didn't know _coffee _of all things could taste _this _good!"

"Uh… excuse me?" I was, simply put, dumbfounded by Miura's reaction. _I expected something like her saying it was 'too sweet to be edible' or how it 'wasn't coffee' like I've heard some of the other normies say, but… Definitely not this._

"I like, _hate _regular coffee because it's always so bitter. Even whenever I like, go to a cafe with my friends or something, I usually order something like an iced frappé or a cappuccino, always with extra sugar, to mask the bitterness of the coffee. But this… This is amazing!" Miura took another long swig from her can, clearly enjoying herself, and I couldn't help the grin growing on my face.

"Well, like I always say, 'Life is too bitter, so coffee, at least, should be sweet'. I'm glad that you, too have awoken to the holiness of MAX coffee. Soon, the whole world will know its power." The girl on my left suddenly burst into laughter, cackling away for a good ten seconds before wiping the corners of her eyes as she calmed down. _Well, it's better that she cry of laughter than for any other reason._

"What the hell was with that line, Hikio. Haah… You're funnier than I – or anyone – would have expected." Miura said with a smile, her cheeks now sporting a healthy blush due to her laughing fit, and I had to admit, it made her look quite attractive. _Geez, it's enough that I have to deal with my feelings towards Yukinoshita, so don't show me something like that! _"Well, I think we should head back to class soon, right?" The smile disappeared from Miura's face, and I pulled out my phone to check the time. _She's right, we need to hurry. _"How am I going to face my friends after this… How am I going to face _Hayato_..?"

"...If I had to guess, Hayama will act like nothing happened, and will fabricate some sort of story, like you began to feel sick or something." I replied as I stood up, stretching a little while doing so. "You could go along with that story, and just leave for today. I wouldn't blame you for it." Miura bit her lip as she gazed downwards, then shook her head and stood up as well.

"No, I can't just run away from this. And I know at least Yui would like, come visit me immediately should she find out that I was 'ill'. No, I think I'm going to act like nothing happened as well." I raised an eyebrow in question at Miura, who now wore a confident smile on her face as she walked up to me, holding out the half-drunk can of MAX towards me. "If I can lead Hayato into a false sense of security, I can work against him more easily."

"Well, that escalated rather quickly." I replied with a bit of a wry smile. "From maiden blinded by love to his archnemesis, huh?" Miura scowled at me as she pushed the can into my hands.

"Shut up. I just meant that… If I want to change things, I'm going to need to oppose him, eventually. Of course, in the best case scenario… I would be able to change Hayato as well..." Miura's gaze dropped, and her eyes became misty again. _Not going to get over those feelings easily, huh? _"But, anyway, I need to start the change from the others. If I've got everyone in our clique on my side wanting to change things, to be _open _and _genuine _with each other, Hayato will _have _to submit." It was a sound plan. Miura wanted to forge new, _proper _friendships with her clique over the shallow ones that Hayato had created, ones where everyone could be genuine with each other, and be comfortable with that. Where they could argue with and _love _each other, without those things breaking their friendships. And most importantly, Miura wanted those friendships to _last_, even when everyone went their separate ways after graduation. _...__And I guess she also hopes to be able to change Hayato, to get an answer to her question of why he is the way he is, though I have my doubts for that._

"Well, good luck with that, I guess. Yuigahama will be easy enough to convert, being the simpleton she is. Same with Tobe, but I can't say anything about the others." I said and looked into the can of MAX in my hands. _Am I supposed to drink the rest? __Do you even know the implications of that? _"We should probably head back to class, now. Separately, of course. You don't want any weird rumours circulating about us, do you?"

"I thought you didn't care about rumours?" Miura questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't." I turned away from Miura, towards the doors, and raised the can of MAX up above my lips, carefully avoiding touching the metal with them. _I'm only doing it because I don't want to spread germs, alright? Not because I'm afraid of some 'indirect kiss' stuff. Hygiene is key, you know. _"But I know if people thought you associated yourself with me, it would only lead to trouble for you." I tilted the can so its contents were drained down my throat, once again making sure that no physical contact was made between my lips and the can. _Expertly done, if I do say so myself. _"Right, I'll head back, now. See you around, Miura." Briefly glancing at the blonde, I began to make my way back inside, tossing the empty can of MAX into the trash can by the entrance.

"Yeah, see you, Hikio. Again, thanks for all this." Without even looking back, I raised my hand to bid farewell to the girl before stepping inside, feeling the pleasant warmth enveloping me. _Ahhh… I don't hate the cold, but being warm and cozy is always the best. _

As I walked down the hallway, I couldn't help my mind wandering to Miura, and her current situation. _Who would have thought that I would live to see the day Miura Yumiko, of all people, managed to see past Hayama's mask. I have to commend her bravery, but I feel that trying to change Hayama will be a fool's errand. _I let out a small sigh, feeling a bit of sympathy for the girl. _Well, I've done my part, now, __so__ this won't concern me any longer, unless Miura makes it a request for the club… _My feet suddenly came to a halt. _The club… Yukinoshita… Gah! _Realizing that I had spent away the lunch break – which I was supposed to use to come up with a way to interact Yukinoshita during club without arousing suspicion and observe her at the same time – with Miura, I wanted to _scream_. _So, you won't give me a break and __just __want to see how hopeless I am when I meet Yukinoshita?_

_Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies!_

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**AN: And there's the first proper chapter done. As I mentioned before, this chapter was pre-written so I could get it out as soon as possible, mostly due to the fact that the Prologue was quite short – way shorter than what I usually make my chapters (around 8k words is what I'm most comfortable with). You can expect the next chapter around two weeks from now on, but I won't make any promises.**

**And, to answer a question from reviewer tigerbomb1996: Yes… and no. I wrote about Miura, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita in _New Life of the Kasugano Twins_ in preparation for this story. Inserting them into the story as side characters allowed me to experiment with them, and find the best way to write those characters. So, yes, in a way, the Miura, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita in NLotKT would be the "future versions" of their counterparts in this story, making this technically a prequel to that story. However, problems arise when taking into consideration _when _these stories take place. NLotKT takes place in 2011, but I've envisioned this story to take place _later _than that, due to things we know about the _Oregairu _canon, as well as some personal preferences when it comes to things such as making references to other media. So, it technically is a prequel, but also technically isn't – we'll call it the Schrödinger's prequel :P**

**Now, until the next chapter, I bid you all farewell. Cheerio!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Observation Failure

**AN: Welcome back, dear readers! Since the last chapter, this story has become my second-most popular one in terms of both views and reviews (though, given some time and a few more chapters, I can safely say it will become my most popular one), which was somewhat expected. Still, I thank you all for showing interest in this story, and all the reviews you've left. There are few things I enjoy more than reading reviews, as it makes me happy to know I've created something someone else enjoys. Of course, constructive criticism is also welcome, and I don't mind if someone leaves a negative review either – that just means I have to try harder. Or not, as I don't really let the negative thoughts of others influence my writing. Enjoyment is subjective, after all, and to me, the most important thing is to create something I can enjoy myself.**

**Now, without any further ado, let's get the second chapter underway!**

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**Chapter 2 – Observation Failure**

Human Observation.

It is one of the numerous (108, to be exact) special skills that I have developed and honed as a loner over a long period of time. I would even argue that it is one of my best skills alongside _Inner Monologue_, _Stealth Hikky_, and _Feigning Sleep_, possibly even competing for being the skill I've mastered the most. The reason for that being the fact that observation is crucial for loners in terms of survival, as being able to observe the environment and people around us allows us to avoid unnecessary social interaction, and gain valuable information regarding our immediate surroundings, which can in turn – for example – be used in case we need to fight or flee when confronted with an adversary. Suffice it to say, being the self-proclaimed King of Loners, my skills with human observation are top-notch. I am easily able to observe the people around me and gather information from them without drawing any attention to myself, the best results coming from using the skill in conjunction with my _Feigning Sleep _skill. However, even in situations where feigning sleep is not an option (such as during class, even if I would like for it to be so, but getting chewed by Hiratsuka-sensei is not always fun), I am perfectly capable of observing others without being discovered doing so.

At least, that would usually be the case. But, with my eyes always meeting the olive-green ones of Miura Yumiko whenever I inconspicuously glance towards the back of the class, I'm starting to question whether my skills have regressed.

No, I doubt this is because of my skills weakening, but rather because of the girl in question being on edge, and thus hyperaware of her surroundings – and I don't blame her for it.

When lunch break ended, Miura had walked back into the classroom – some time after I had already returned, of course – without saying a word, the expression on her face as neutral as could be. Her face also lacked the distinct signs of _crying _I had seen previously, telling me that she had likely freshened herself up in a bathroom on the way back to the classroom, so as to not arouse any suspicion. However, knowing what she had just gone through, I could clearly see she was tense, and she didn't so much as spare a glance at Hayama – let alone speak with him – as she made her way over to her desk. Hayama's demeanour also changed ever so slightly when the blonde entered, but he kept his cool expertly. No-one knew what had happened between the two of them, and Hayama clearly wanted to keep it that way. Unbeknownst to him, _someone _did already find out. _Me_.

After Miura's return, it didn't take long for our mathematics teacher to arrive and class to start. However, despite already feeling that my involvement with Miura's situation had come to an end, I couldn't help my curiosity, and kept observing Miura and her clique during class – though that might have also been due to the subject of the class not being one I was particularly fond of, and thus I sought something else to keep me occupied. As everyone had to keep quiet while our teacher droned on and on about something or other, I couldn't use my Heightened Loner Hearing to my advantage, and had to instead rely on my sight. And since I couldn't very well stare at the back of the classroom continuously, I had to conduct my observation with quick and inconspicuous glances during seemingly natural movements of my body. Reaching to scratch my leg here, a small stretch of my arm there, or a slight turn of my head when changing which hand I leaned against. Simply genius, if I do say so myself. And given that my presence in class was already almost non-existent, I could easily observe Miura without bringing attention to myself. I'd wager that even if I had brought attention to myself, most of my classmates would have likely gone "_Who's that?_" over something like "_Oh, it's just Hiki__tani__._". Hmph. If you normies are going to ignore my existence, you might as well learn my name properly, so you know who you're ignoring.

Anyway, back on track: Miura.

Despite having taken every measure to remain undetected while I satisfied my curiosity by observing Miura, every single time I shifted my gaze towards the blonde and her clique, the girl in question would raise her own gaze to meet mine, as if she had some sort of sixth sense to know whenever I would be looking in her direction. The first couple of times I assumed she just happened to look in my direction, since – as I already had deduced – she was clearly on edge because of what had happened, and thus more aware of her surroundings, and likely more aware of _me_, due to our prior conversation. After we locked eyes for the umpteenth time, however… it became clear it wasn't just a coincidence. Like myself, she was not concentrating on the class at all, her mind likely a jumbled mess of self-consciousness, anxiety and stress.

At least, that's what I assumed, though since I couldn't actually read her mind like Charles Xavier could have, there was no way to confirm that right now. But, my assumptions do have some basis, as I fully understand the situation Miura is in. She told me about her confession to Hayama, but is afraid of anyone else finding out. Miura, knows how powerful rumours are, how quickly they spread, and what they can do to a person. If someone found out that Hayama had rejected Miura, it would have cataclysmic effects within the hierarchy of Soubu High that would not only drop Miura from her spot at the top, but would also cause great trouble for Hayama himself, who would lose his only form of defence against a barrage of confessions from maidens in love who believed they now had a chance. Miura knows this, so she can be sure that Hayama will not tell anyone, but a rumour does not have to be based on a fact. Someone most likely saw Miura as she ran away from the classroom after her rejection, and could have easily made their own assumptions based on that. It's also possible someone heard what happened – the classroom isn't soundproof, after all. And, finally, there is _me_. _I _know that Miura was rejected, and I wouldn't blame her if she was anxious about me spilling the beans. Of course, I would have nothing to gain from spreading that kind of information, and I doubt anyone would even believe if I said something like that, but I don't blame her for being suspicious about me. I know I would certainly be suspicious of myself. Whatever the case may be, Miura has every right to be anxious about someone possibly finding out what happened, though so far it feels the class is completely ignorant to the events that had transpired.

Despite that, Miura can't rest easy, and that anxiousness has made her wary of her surroundings – thus foiling my plans of sneakily observing her and her clique. With our eyes having met so many times, she must think I'm a creep. More so than usual, at least, unless I take what she said earlier about her opinion of me having improved at face value. In that case, she probably still thinks I'm a creep, but _less _so than usual.

Sigh.

Figuring I had a better chance to sate my curiosity after class, I deemed any further observation right now as futile and instead triedto focus on the class. Keyword being _tried_, as, having already missed more than half of the class, there was no way I would be able to catch up now. So, instead, I passed the time until the class would be over by focusing on my current biggest problem:

Yukinoshita Yukino.

Though perhaps calling her a problem is not the correct – or nicest – way to put it. Rather, the problem is what I'm going to do when I meet her during club. I need to be able to keep my cool enough so the girls won't get suspicious, while simultaneously observing Yukinoshita. Thing is… I'm not sure if I'm able to keep my cool while doing that. I'm sure I do not need to say this, but Yukinoshita Yukino is simply _beautiful_, and with my newly discovered feelings towards her, I am even _more _aware of that now. I can only hope that Yuigahama will be able to keep Yukinoshita occupied enough to allow me to covertly observe her, if only to test what kind of effect she has on me. After all, I haven't seen her in person after making the discovery about my feelings. _Everything should go fine, as long as I keep up my poker face. And if we get a request, that might also act as a distraction for my covert operations… Heh, that makes me sound like I'm a spy. Agent Double-0-Hachi, reporting for duty. Either that, or a stalker… Wait, __is what I'm about to do stalking? I guess it would technically count, but it's not like I'm doing it for some malicious purpose… __It should be fine… right? Or am I just trying to find justification for my actions? __No, it should be fine, I'm just doing what I'm always doing: Observing. Not sure if that will hold in court, though._

I internally let out another sigh and found my gaze wandering towards the clock on the wall. _At least mathematics will be over soon, then it's just a couple more periods until club… _I sent one last glance towards the back of the class, yet again meeting the eyes of Miura Yumiko, this time keeping eye contact with her for a few seconds before turning back away. _Miura Yumiko… I do wonder how her situation is going to develop from here..? Well, whatever. __Guess I'll have a nap until the class is over. _Leaning onto my desk, I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply through my nose, stifling a yawn so as to not alert the teacher of my plans. _With my stealth skills, I should be able to avoid detection quite easily and catch a few snoozes real quick… _

The teacher's words seemed to melt away as I slowly slipped closer to falling asleep, yet I never quite made it there. In my half-asleep half-awake state, my mind kept wandering to different things, never focusing on anything long enough for me to consciously acknowledge that I had been thinking about it. However, one specific thing – one _person –_ kept coming back to the forefront of my dreamy thoughts. Not even sleep was sacred any more, as the icy blue eyes, raven-black hair, porcelain face, delicate fingers and enticing lips of Yukinoshita Yukino had invaded nearly every moment I kept my eyes closed.

Eventually, the bell signalling the end of the period rang and shook me out of my attempt at a nap, and I groggily lifted my head, this time unable to stop the incoming yawn. _Well, a few eyefuls of almost being asleep is better than listening to our mathematics teacher. As long as we disregard my grades, that is. _Stretching my arms after the teacher had left, I found my thoughts still lingering on Yukinoshita, and quickly shook my head in attempt to properly wake up. _This isn't good… I'm starting to suspect my feelings are indeed more than a simple crush, and that I have truly fallen in love… __Well, nothing I can do about it now. _While cracking my neck, I closed my mathematics textbook (which I had barely used during class) and placed it into my bag, taking the opportunity to glance at the back of the class.

As always happened in the interim between classes and periods, the classroom burst into chatter as people gathered in their own groups and cliques while others exited and returned later, having used the free time to either go to the bathroom or fetch a drink. Today was no different from usual – at least on the surface. But the most observant viewer, or someone with knowledge of what lies _below _that surface – essentially, someone like _me_ – could spot that there was something off about the dynamic within one specific clique.

"Oh, maaaan! Math is like, so hard you know? Right, Hayato?" To no-one's surprise, the loudest noise in the classroom was coming from Tobe, complaining about the difficulty of school as usual. "Like, what even is a cosine or a pythagoram?" Tobe glanced to his sides, where Ooka and Yamato flanked him, and the pair nodded in affirmation. In the corner of my eye I saw Hayama giving Tobe a troubled smile in reply, and just from his expression alone, I could almost hear the sigh of exasperation he no doubt wanted to release.

"Well, mathematics is not that difficult when you put some thought into it. It doesn't matter if you're quick or slow at it, anyone can solve any problem. Besides, trigonometry is relatively simple. University-level math is a lot harder." _I kind of have to agree with Hayama there, even if I don't want to. Even I've been able to grasp the concept of __the Pythagorean theorem, and I'm terrible at math. _Tobe looked dejected after Hayama's answer, and he desperately turned towards the two girls of the group – though one of them didn't seem to be paying much attention.

"Ahahaa… You can make anything sound easy, Hayato." Yuigahama said with an awkward laugh as she scratched her cheek, her gaze briefly flicking to my direction, but I was careful to avoid it, masking my observing by leaning back in my chair and closing my eyes – leaving me in a position where I could still listen in closely. "I still haven't really even understood the previous thing we were taught, so I'm a little behind on this whole tro… trigomo… tri… _trigonometry _stuff." Hearing Yuigahama struggle with difficult words never failed to amuse me, and this time was no different as I felt the corners of my mouth involuntarily twisting into a slight smile. _I shouldn't be surprised. She is as much of an airhead as Tobe is. I do wonder which one would be the Lloyd and which one the Harry, though..? __Gotta say, if there's one thing the west film industry knows how to do right, it's comedies. Though If I were them, I would just give up now and leave the more serious stuff in the hands of the likes of Ghibli and Shinkai. __Nothing in the world can beat them when it comes to dramas._

"Maybe we could hold a study session together? Teaching someone else is the best way to learn yourself, after all, so we can all help each other and _bond _as friends at the same time." Hearing Hayama's words, any and all remnants of my previous smile were gone from my face. _There's no doubt about what he _really _means by '__bonding' as friends__. _"Wouldn't you agree, _Yumiko_?"

"Eh? O-oh, um… Sorry, w-what was that about a study session?" As Miura spoke, I leaned back forwards and rested my head on my left hand, the new position leaving the blonde and her clique just at the edge of my vision. Due to now holding some _respect _for Miura, as well as just wanting to see how the situation would evolve, I couldn't help my curiosity.

"We were just planning on holding a group study session. You seemed a little out of it during class, Yumiko, so I thought you might need some help with this." Hayama replied with his usual smile. _So I was not the only one __observing her, then? Though, I guess it's understandable that Hayama would want to keep an eye on her, given what happened between them. Also, I'd imagine it's easier for him to observe Miura, due to where he sits compared to where I sit. _"Maybe we could go to the library, or a cafe today? What do you guys think?" Hayama glanced around, meeting the eyes of everyone else in his clique. _I see what he's doing. Right now, Hayama still has the numbers on his side, and he's clearly 'flaunting' that to Miura. Perhaps he is afraid of Miura telling the others about the confession, and is trying to make her realize it would break everything. Or then I'm reading too much into it, that's just what I would gather based on the information I have._

"Hmm… I've got club today, so I might not be able to come." Yuigahama said with a thoughtful look on her face. "Also, shouldn't we get Hina in on this as well? I'd feel kind of bad if we had a group study session while she's ill..."

"Yeah yeah! And don't we like, have soccer practice today as well, despite the cold?" Tobe continued after Yuigahama.

"Ah, you're right, Tobe. Maybe tomorrow, then? I'm sure we could all agree on a time that suits all of us. We don't want you falling behind in your studies, so it would be best to have this study session as soon as possible." Hayama replied, receiving a couple of nods from the others. "What do you say, Yumiko?" Once again turning his gaze to the blonde, Yumiko looked away, her gaze briefly meeting mine. _Don't look to me for an answer. This is your fight, not mine. And maybe a group study session is what you want, it could give you some opportunities to act out your plans._

"I… Er… I-I agree with Yui in that we shouldn't exclude Hina from this. I'm not _against _the idea of a group study session, but… everyone should be a part of it." Miura replied, still not looking directly at Hayama. _I feel like she's being kind of obvious that something is troubling her, with the way she's acting… It's not like her to be this meek. _Hayama looked at Miura for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as he scrutinized her, before he flashed another bright smile and let his gaze wander to the others.

"Alright, we'll talk about with her when she comes back to school, then." Hayama said, then glanced at his wristwatch briefly. "There's still a bit of time before class starts… I think I'm going to buy some drinks. Anyone want anything?" Ooka shook his head in reply to Hayama's question, and after a brief moment of thought, Yuigahama did the same.

"Oh oh! I'll come with you, Hayato." Tobe stood up from his seat excitedly, but Hayama simply waved his hand at him dismissively.

"Don't worry about it. You like cola, right, Tobe?" For a moment, Tobe looked dejected, but then nodded and sat down again, while Hayama stood up once receiving his affirmation. "How about you, Yamato?"

"I guess green tea would do." Yamato replied, and Hayama nodded to him, then shifted his gaze to Miura. _Oh, is this going where I think it's going?_

"Alright. Yumiko, do you want to come with me?" Hayama extended his hand towards the blonde, who seemed surprised by the sudden request. _Yep, it definitely is. Hayama is no doubt looking for an opportunity to have a one-on-one talk with her about the _confession_. She's been acting like nothing happened so far, but I don't think Hayama would just assume that she's going to keep like that forever, unless he can talk her into it._

"E-eh? Me?" Miura's gaze flicked between Hayama's face and his outstretched hand for a few moments, before she seemingly composed herself and looked away. "I… I'm fine, thanks. I had a drink during lunch." I couldn't quite see Hayama's expression from my current position, but I could guess that he didn't expect for Miura to reject his proposal – and neither did anyone else present, if the looks on _their _faces were anything to go by. _H__ayama__ relied on Miura still being infatuated with him, __and thus unable to refuse a chance for some alone time with just the two of them, but I wonder if he has a backup plan? I can't think of many ways he could persuade Miura to join him, now, without making the others suspicious._

"Oh? Well, alright then." Hayama's reply struck me as odd. _Is he going to give up. _"I was hoping I could talk with you _privately _about something, Yumiko." To my surprise – and likely Miura's as well – Hayama didn't beat around the bush or make up excuses. The most surprising thing was, though, that he didn't even try to mask his request, leaving the others to make their own interpretations of it.

"Hayato! I-is this..?" Tobe was the first to speak, nearly rising from his seat as he slammed his hands on top of it, and the surprise was evident on the faces of the others as well. It was clear what conclusions they had drawn from Hayama's request, though whether that was all part of his plan was unclear.

"No, nothing like that, Tobe." Hayama briefly glanced at his friend and waved his hand dismissively, then turned to Miura again. "I'll buy you whatever you want, I just need to talk with you a bit. It's… important." Miura gazed up at Hayama silently for a few seconds, then shifted her gaze to me again. _Don't lean on me, woman! I have no part in this. _I tried my best to glare back at the blonde without alerting anyone, which seemed to have worked as she turned back to Hayama.

"...Alright, I'll come with you. If this really is something important, that is." Miura replied and stood up, and Hayama nodded to her in return, then began to make his way out of the classroom, with Miura following behind

"We'll be right back, everyone." Hayama gave one last radiant smile to his clique before he and Miura left, a couple of them waving him goodbye. _Why are you waving? You're literally going to meet again in five minutes. __Well, whatever. _I glanced over at the door, just catching Miura's backside as she exited the classroom. _A part of me wants to hear what Hayama is going to tell Miura, but… It's already enough that I'm nearly _stalking _Yukinoshita. _

Stretching as I sat up straight in my seat, I turned my gaze to the window and watched as numerous snowflakes slowly but steadily fell from the sky, a breeze occasionally blowing them everywhere. The serene scene soothed me, but even it couldn't remove the odd uneasiness I felt. _Unless Miura comes to the club for help in her predicament, my involvement with her is pretty much over. And yet, I can't help having a feeling…_

_...that this whole thing is going to lead to nothing but trouble for me._

* * *

_What am I going to say?_

While we walked down the hallway to the nearest vending machine, I kept asking myself the same question over and over. There was no doubt about what Hayato wanted to talk about, but I didn't know what I would say in reply. I wanted to change things, but Hayato wanted everything to stay the same, so it was only inevitable for us to clash, but I didn't want to quite do that yet. He still had our clique on his side, but I was alone. _Haah… I was pretty gung-ho about __opposing Hayato to Hikio earlier, but I've been nothing but nervous since. Maybe I'm not so brave after all._

"Yumiko." Hayato's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, but he didn't turn to me, and instead kept walking forwards. _Where are we going? We already passed the vending machine, didn't we? _"Where… where did you go during lunch break?" I glanced around, seeing only a few students here and there as they walked along the hallways. _If you wanted to talk in private, why start now?_

"I… I wanted to be alone for a little while. You should know why." I replied sharply. Hayato had shown me a glimpse of the part of himself that he hides from the rest of us, but the existence of which Hikio had confirmed for me, so I didn't bother acting nice towards him any longer.

"Are you… still mad?" Hayato glanced at me from over his shoulder, his expression unreadable as always. "No matter, that isn't what I wanted to talk about. Well, it _is_, but not exactly _that_." Hayato turned around a corner, and as I followed him, we found ourselves at a hallway that ended abruptly, a single vending machine standing against one wall with a door next to it, the sign on it simply reading '_Storage_'. _This is a really odd place for a vending machine… Who would even know to come here? _"Let's see… Cola for Tobe, green tea for Yamato… Do you want something, Yumiko? I'll pay." Hayato looked back towards me from the vending machine, pointing to it with one hand.

"Eh? I don't know." I replied and crossed my arms, briefly glancing at the selection on the vending machine. "...MAX, I guess." Hayato raised an eyebrow as he stared back at me in confusion for a few seconds. "What?"

"Oh, I just thought you didn't like coffee, Yumiko." Hayato replied, then began to dig around his pockets for money. "You never buy any actual coffee when we all go out together."

"Well, MAX is like, okay. It doesn't really taste like coffee because it's like, so sweet." I said and glanced behind me as a random student passed by us. _I only tasted for the first time today, but I can't say it wasn't good._ "Anyway, you wanted to like, talk to me so cut the crap and get to it." Hayato paused for a moment as he was ordering everyone's drinks, then let out a sigh as he knelt down to pick up his purchases.

"So you are still mad." I felt my eyebrow twitching as Hayato stood up and walked over to me, handing me a can of MAX. "Alright, first of all, I want to say I'm sorry." Hayato held Tobe's and Yamato's drinks under his arm while he opened his own one – black tea, by the looks of it. "Some of the things I said may have made you angry, but that was never my intention, so I'm sorry." My eyes wandered over to Hayato's left cheek, where I had slapped him. _It felt surprisingly good to slap him, now that I think about it._ "As I said before, I'm touched by your feelings, Yumiko, but I can't accept them at this time. We have so much on our plate as students right now, with our third year coming up and such. Besides… You do know what might happen to our friend group if we suddenly started dating now?" Each word that left Hayato's mouth made me more and more angry, and I had to summon every ounce of self-control I had to stop myself from throwing the can of MAX in my hands at him. _How was I so foolish to not see what he's like..?_

"Look, Hayato, I told you to cut the crap." Hayato stopped mid-drink and looked towards me with confusion. "Why do you… Why do you keep up that _mask_? I already know you're _lying _to us, so you don't need to act around me." I didn't meet Hayato's gaze, but saw him looking away from me after a few seconds of silently staring at me. _Even though I already saw it after he rejected me, and Hikio affirmed it for me, I still can't believe Hayato would do all this… Why lie to us? Why not just be yourself? Why not make _real _friendships with the others, rather than cling onto the superficial ones he's made? __What do you have to hide? _I tightened my hold on the can of MAX, as the questions I wanted to ask, but couldn't voice out, circulated in my mind.

"You know, Yumiko..." Just as I was about to speak again, Hayato beat me to the punch, and I looked back towards him and met his eyes. I could never discern what Hayato was thinking, but now, his eyes and face seemed even more unreadable than usual, more mysterious, even _scary_, to a degree. "...Hikigaya really likes MAX coffee as well, doesn't he?" Hayato's gaze briefly flicked to the can in my hands, before returning back to my eyes. _Eh? _"Was it him who told you about this supposed '_mask_' you're talking about? Did you talk to him during lunch?" Hayato's tone of voice had an _eerie _vibe to it, and I involuntarily found myself swallowing.

"What… does Hikio have to do with anything?" Hayato averted his gaze from mine, shifting it to inspect the can of tea in his hands. _Is this… another glimpse at what Hayato is really like?_

"I don't know what he's told you, but I'll repeat what I said earlier: Don't believe everything he says. Hikigaya harbours some ill will, perhaps a grudge towards me. And don't you remember what happened at the culture festival with Sagami? Or what he did during the summer camp? He's not a nice person." I wanted to refute Hayato's claim, but couldn't bring myself to do so. _Hikio… He _is _a nice person. Agh, why can't I say anything back to Hayato..? This is frustrating… I'm still such a coward… _"Sorry, I know this is not like me, but… Hikigaya just makes me lose my cool a little." Hayato glanced at his watch, then walked past me, stopping just behind me. "We should head back, Yumiko. Once again, I'm sorry I'm not able to return your feelings just yet, but there's still plenty of time. I hope we can still be friends." In a moment, his usual smile was back on his face as he placed a hand on my shoulder, but now, his smile seemed _empty _somehow. "Let's not tell the others, okay? It wouldn't do good to have them know you asked me out like that, since I haven't given you an answer yet." Saying nothing further, Hayato began to walk down the hallway again, not even looking back to see if I was following him or not. _So… that was it._

A part of me wanted to slap him again, while another just wanted to cry. I was basically just rejected _again_. All the questions I wanted to ask came back to my mind, but I knew asking them would do no good. Hayato wouldn't answer anyway. He's never told us anything personal, never truly opened up to us, and I only began to realize that recently, when it was already too late. _He said there is plenty of time, but that couldn't be more wrong. _I leaned against the wall and let my arms fall to my sides, careful to still keep a hold of the can of MAX in my hand. _What the hell do I do now? Hayato is still planning on keeping all this hidden, keeping to the status quo, despite knowing everything is going to fall apart soon enough. I can't go talking to __Yui or the others about this yet either, not when Hayato is still around, but if I __try to get them alone, Hayato will know I'm up to something. And he's now suspicious that I'm in this with Hikio… _I let out a sigh as another student walked past, this time with hurried steps. _I should probably head back soon, huh? The others will get worried. But… will they get worried because we're friends, or because we're "_friends_"? _I stared at the can in my hands in silence for multiple seconds, then saw my grip around it tightening as my mind wandered to the conversation I had with Hikio earlier today. _What am I even thinking? When did I become such a pessimistic coward? Hikio, of all people, called me brave, and while many would dismiss his words without even hearing them, I know better._

_If even he thinks I'm brave, then I sure as hell must be._

_Geez, who would have thought Hikio would become the one to give me the confidence boost I needed._

Picturing Hikio in a cheerleader outfit repeating "_You can do it!_" over and over with his trademark monotone voice and deadpan expression, I let out an audible giggle and cracked open my MAX, then began to briskly make my way back to the classroom.

* * *

The rest of the day after mathematics seemed to go by in a flash, which I would attribute to the fact that the subjects were far more forgiving and interesting for a humanities type such as myself. "Time flies when you are having fun", as the saying goes. Though I wouldn't say I was "_having fun_" per se, but I certainly enjoyed the rest of the afternoon classes much more than I had mathematics. Another factor that contributed towards this time acceleration phenomenon would be Miura, as after she returned from fetching drinks with Hayama, I couldn't detect any signs of her previous distress, thus coming to the conclusion that my observation of her situation was no longer necessary. Either that, or someone activated _Made in Heaven_. I wouldn't know, as I'm not a Stand user. If I was, though, I'd totally name my Stand something like "_Leashed Luminous Love_", "_Anger/Anger_" or "_Styx Helix_". But, alas, I find that possibility to be quite low, so the more likely cause is Miura.

Miura had returned to the classroom in the nick of time just before the class had started, a little after Hayama had returned with the drinks he had bought. I didn't pay so much attention to her late arrival as I did to her demeanour, however. While before, Miura had been visibly nervous, she now seemed to be back to her usual self, chatting away with Yui briefly upon returning and during the recess after the class like nothing was out of the ordinary. Of course, immediately looking for me and meeting my eyes with her gaze when she returned to the classroom, then showing me a brief confident smile helped as well, though I felt she was a bit too obvious with the gesture. It's not like were in this together, I was just curious about her unique situation, and happened to be the one to give her words of advice and encouragement. Nonetheless, it was clear to any more observant viewer that Miura's mood had improved. I don't know what Hayama talked about with her – though I have a good guess – but everything seemed to have gone in Miura's favour, and given that Hayama acted more relaxed afterwards, he is likely completely oblivious to that fact. Still, I have every reason to believe that Miura's path to her goal is not simply clear of obstacles, now, as Hayama definitely wouldn't let his guard down so easily. He could very well be simply acting relaxed, while using the opportunity observe and measure whether or not Miura will keep her mouth shut and obediently fall back into how things previously were, satisfying the status quo, while devising a plan in case she does not. Truly, normies are scary beings. Or maybe it's just Hayama.

In any case, thanks my perception of time accelerating during the last afternoon classes of the day, I soon found myself packing up my things as the classroom once again exploded into chatter now that the school day was over. As the various cliques formed yet again and people exited for their clubs and other after-school programs (including the super-popular "Going home"-club), I turned my gaze towards the most prominent clique in the back of the class, landing it on Miura. Like most of everyone else, she was packing her bags while chatting away, mostly with Yuigahama. After a few seconds, she must have realized I was looking at her, and met my gaze with her own. While normally I would have expected to be met with something akin to a scowl, this time Miura showed me a confident expression and gave me a small nod, though I didn't really get why, as I didn't feel like I had done anything to deserve such a gesture. She had already given me her gratitude for earlier, after all. Shortly afterwards, Yuigahama seemed to notice my gaze as well, as she turned to face me, offered me a smile, then quickly got up from her seat while saying her goodbyes to Miura. _Right, here we go, then._

"Hikki!" Yuigahama swiftly made her way over to me, her bag slung over her shoulder, and out the corner of my eye I noticed Miura's gaze still lingering on us. "You ready to go?" I gave the pink-haired girl a quick nod and then stood up, picking up my bag as I did.

"You surprised me. Usually I have to wait around for you." I said and began to make my way out of the classroom, with Yuigahama following behind.

"What do you mean?" Yuigahama leaned forwards as she walked next to me, and I glanced over to be met with a confused expression on her face. "You were waiting for me just now, weren't you? I should be the one to say I was surprised, usually you _don't _wait for me to finish and just go on your own, Meanie-Hikki!" Yuigahama lightly punched me on the arm, and I had to avert my gaze from her.

"A-ah, right, of course." I scratched my cheek with my hand as I avoided the pink-haired girl's gaze. _I guess that's what she interpreted my staring as… I can't very well tell her I simply happened to look in her direction because I was still a little curious about Miura. That would open a whole Pandora's Box of questions I do not want to answer._ "And I _do _wait for you, just not in the classroom. It gets too stuffy in there with all the social interaction, I can't stand it." I returned my gaze to look forward as we slowly – and dare I say _pleasantly –_ strode towards the Service Club clubroom. And while I did think – or at the very least, I _hoped_ – I was doing a good job of masking it…

I was in inner turmoil.

It felt like with each step my heartbeat increased, and I had to concentrate hard on just about anything I could set my eyes upon to stop my thoughts from wandering and to try to calm myself. This was it, the moment I had been both dreading and awaiting. The moment I would see Yukinoshita Yukino again after realizing I harboured romantic feelings towards her.

I still didn't have a solid plan for what I would do when we did eventually arrive at the clubroom, but during the last couple of classes, I figured acting natural and not trying too hard with a plan might be the best course of action. Of course, there's no saying in what will actually happen when I do see Yukinoshita, but all I can do is brace myself for it. I can't delay this any further now, after all.

"Hikki!" I was startled by a sudden shout from Yuigahama, and was met with a pout when I turned to face her. _Ah, I must have zoned out for a little while… Are we almost at the clubroom?_

"Ah, s-sorry, did you say something?" Yuigahama punched me on the arm again, then let out a sigh. _I'm sorry, Gahama-chan! I was too busy worrying about my doomed future to notice you, spare me your wrath!_

"I was just asking if you'd noticed anything out of the ordinary about Yumiko. It felt like she was a little absent-minded and quiet today after lunch, so I was worried." I nearly jumped when Yuigahama suddenly asked me about Miura, but composed myself before she could notice anything. _What's with that timing? I mean, Miura was being kind of obvious with what her mood was like, and the sudden change would not go unnoticed by even Yuigahama, so I'm not surprised that she would be worried, but…_

"...Why would I know anything about Miura?" I asked in turn, managing to keep my voice neutral. _I doubt she knows what's going on, and I'm not going to tell her. That's up to Miura herself. _"It's not like I associate myself with her or anything."

"I-I was just asking because you're like, you know, perceptive and stuff, Hikki." Yuigahama replied, and I felt myself relaxing. _Well, it's good she doesn't suspect anything. Not that there's anything going on that one would have to be suspicious of between Miura and I, but just a rumour about us meeting once during lunch is bad enough, and things would only escalate from there. It would only lead to trouble. _"It's just… I don't know, I feel like there's something she's worrying about, or something like that, and I want to help her."

"Well, if there is, I'm sure she'll tell you about it. If it's big enough, she might request help from the club, who knows." I said and continued staring forward, the door to the clubroom visible in the distance. "To answer your question, though, no, I haven't noticed anything. How could I have, when I haven't even been paying attention." Yuigahama seemed to relax after my reply, as she let out another sigh, this time a content one.

"Yeah, you're right, Hikki. Yumiko just worries so much for us sometimes, I find myself worrying if I'm worrying about her enough in return." Yuigahama let out a little giggle, then seemed to stop herself. "Wait… Is that right? Worrying about… being worried? Being worried about worrying? Worry… worrying..." I stifled a chuckle as I watched Yuigahama's face twist as she spun the words around in her mouth, trying to make sense out of what she had just said. _Ah, never change, Yuigahama. Your antics are far too entertaining._

Soon, we were standing before the clubroom door, and as I reached out to open it, I paused for a moment, swallowing down the lump forming in my throat as my heartbeat rose once again. _Alright, here it is. Calm down, Hachiman. I need to get through this with a straight face. I don't know what will happen once I open this door and see Yukinoshita, but I have to brace myself for it. There might be a strong emotional reaction, or there might not be, but I have to always prepare for the worst. __There is no such thing as overpreparing. _Realizing the Yuigahama was looking at me with a confused expression, I steeled my resolve and opened the door in one swift motion. Just as I was about to take a step inside, however, I immediately froze in place.

I had expected to see the usual idyllic scene that Yuigahama and I would always see upon entering the clubroom. The single table in the centre of the room, three empty chairs – two on the opposite side and one on this side – with the fourth one occupied by Yukinoshita Yukino as she read her book while some tea was being brewed on the side table. Sometimes, mine and Yuigahama's cups would already be there on the table, with or without tea already in them. As this scene was what we had become used to seeing every single day, I had mentally prepared myself to face that scene in my new state of mind and emotion. I was prepared to see the ever-beautiful Yukinoshita Yukino from a distance as she gracefully flipped the pages of her book, then would greet us upon noticing our arrival. The outcomes I had calculated all revolved around seeing that exact same scene as we always did.

So, when instead of seeing that same scene, I was met with the face of none other than Yukinoshita Yukino directly in front of mine, all of those calculations and preparations, as well the resolve I had managed to gather, was all blown away in an instant.

"Ah…" A quiet sound escaped from Yukinoshita's mouth as she looked me directly in the eyes, though we weren't quite at eye level due to our difference in height. My mind was completely blank, and I couldn't move a muscle, but seeing the light dusting of red appearing the perfect porcelain-like face in front of me, I couldn't help my heartbeat – which I had just about managed to calm moments ago – rising once again and my own cheeks heating up at the sight. A few moments that felt like an eternity passed before my brain finally regained its cognitive functions and I was able to think again. _T-this..!_

_Curse you, Gods of Romantic Comedies!_

"Yukinon! Yahhallo!" Yuigahama's greeting rung in my ears, and seemed to snap Yukinoshita out of her stupor as she blinked, her hands briefly twitching as they moved towards me ever so slightly, then moved back to her sides. "Were you going somewhere?"

"Oh, I-I..." Yukinoshita averted her gaze from me, and I did the same, not daring to look at her any longer after that surprise attack. _T-that was dangerous, I was afraid I was going to have a cardiac arrest there caused by a heart attack. Though I gue__ss I now finally have to accept that my feelings for her are true, as I doubt I would have had as strong a reaction otherwise. _"...I w-was about to get some more water for the tea. But, er… Good afternoon, Yuigahama-san, H-Hikigaya-kun." _O-oi, don't stutter when you say my name! I know you're embarrassed by the sudden close proximity, but that's not allowed! My heart can't take much more of this._

"Y-yo, Yukinoshita. Could you… um..." I sent brief glances to the girl in front of me, but still couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes properly. Luckily, she seemed to get the hint as her eyes widened and she stepped to the side.

"A-ah, yes, of course, I apologize. Please, do come in." I walked past Yukinoshita, desperately trying to ignore the pleasant, _girly _smell than emanated from her to the best of my ability and made my way over to my seat. With my heartbeat still being off the charts, I internally let out a sigh in attempt to calm myself. _Haah… Well, that could have gone worse. I don't think either of the girls noticed anything, what with Yuigahama being behind me, and Yukinoshita being too surprised to suddenly be face-to-face with me. But… _As Yuigahama made her way over to her seat, I let my gaze wander over to Yukinoshita, who was still stood by the door.

Yukinoshita Yukino was beautiful, that much was known by literally everyone at Soubu High. But when I looked at her right now, that beauty seemed to _radiate _over me in overwhelming waves, making my heart race against my will. After only a second or two, I had to avert my gaze again, instead looking towards the side table on my left. _I don't think I have any right to have any doubts about my feelings, now. Who would have known that I of all people would fall for someone like this? _As I let out another internal sigh, I noticed something curious about the side table. Specifically, the fact that Yukinoshita's tea set was still there. _Wait, but if she was going to refill the water, why is the kettle still there..? _I looked back towards Yukinoshita, who was now making her way back to us, and saw that her hands were empty. _What was she doing by the door, then..?_

"Would you two like some tea? I didn't have it prepared in advance, so you'll have to wait a little." Yukinoshita asked from us before I could think more on the matter, gesturing over to her tea set as she stood in front of the table, her gaze flicking between Yuigahama and I.

"Didn't you… need to refill the water?" I asked in turn, now having regained my composure somewhat, though I could still feel a slight tingle in the pit of my stomach as I looked at Yukinoshita, meeting her icy-blue eyes with my own.

"I… believe there is still enough for the three of us. I can fill it later, or tomorrow, but I wouldn't want to leave you two here _alone _while I go fill it, I feel it would be rude." Yukinoshita replied, and I could sense a logic behind her words, though I almost felt like there was something _off _about them as well. _It doesn't really explain why she was at the door without the kettle, but… Oh well. __Maybe she was going to open the door for herself beforehand so she wouldn't have had to fumble with it while carrying the kettle, or something like that._

"Oh, I see. I guess I'll have a cup, then." Yukinoshita flashed me a small smile, and I felt it pierce my heart like an arrow. _Gah! D-don't do that, woman! This whole 'observing Yukinoshita' thing to analyse my situation and her thoughts of me is going to be quite hard, I feel… _While Yukinoshita received affirmation from Yuigahama and made her way to the side table, I took out a light novel from my bag, hoping that reading about whoever was going to screw over the _Devil of the Shield_ this time would distract me enough to allow me to calm down and fall into a natural enough state to fool the girls into thinking everything was as usual. _War is deception. If everything seems natural, I'll be able to mask my feelings and observe unnoticed. Though I haven't really thought that far as to what exactly I'm going to do afterwards, other than considering a c-confession… I guess I'll just see how things go and whether my feelings stay the same or not, while trying to figure out what Yukinoshita thinks of me as subtly as possible._

Satisfied with my plan, I opened up my novel and began to indulge myself in it. _Ah, Isekai… The genre I can never tire of, despite it sometimes feeling overdone a million times and repetitive. At least this time, I can truly connect with the main character. _Soon becoming engrossed in the book, I felt my heartbeat steadying itself and the almost oppressive feeling of being constantly aware of Yukinoshita's presence disappearing. The chatter of the two girls to my left as I flipped the pages was almost akin to the music I sometimes listened to while reading, telling me how comfortable I had become with the atmosphere of the Service Club during my time here. Yukinoshita, Yuigahama, myself, a good book and some tea, this had become the norm for me, and I _enjoyed _it. Though, it seems I was _too _used to it, as I at one point found myself reaching for my cup of tea, only to find it not being there, immediately realizing that Yukinoshita had yet to pour our cups for us. _Ah, right… _Sighing, I placed the book down on the table, ignoring the pleading calls of my cute Melty-chan from the pages to read more and instead shifted my gaze to the left, where it met Yukinoshita's eyes. Both of us froze in an instant, but as if on cue, the electric kettle on the side table finished brewing the tea shortly afterwards, saving my heart as Yukinoshita stood up and walked over to the kettle. _That was… unexpected, to say the least. Was she… looking at me, or did our eyes just happen to meet? _I glanced back down at my novel, my gaze lingering on the open page for a few moments. _No, I feel that's just wishful thinking as a result of my feelings. This is not good, _love _is making me feel hopeful and optimistic. Preposterous. _Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I placed a bookmark on the page I was on and closed the novel, just as Yukinoshita brought my cup to the table.

"Here you go, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita said and began to pour tea into my cup. Despite my best efforts to keep my gaze on said cup, I couldn't help my eyes wandering up her slender arms to her face, catching her bringing up one of her hands to move a strand of hair behind her ear, something about the relatively simple gesture causing a heat beginning to form inside of me. _This is bad. Was she always this… _sensual _when doing this? Or am I just now seeing it that way? _"There's only enough for one cup for each of us, so this will have to do for now. Is that okay?" Yukinoshita's question shook me back to reality, and I was able to focus again.

"A-ah, yes, thanks, Yukinoshita." I replied and reached out for the teacup, but instead of the cup, my hand abruptly came into contact with something else – Yukinoshita's hand. She had no doubt planned to hand my cup to me, or otherwise place it closer for me from the edge of the table where she had poured the tea in the first place, so when I reached out for it myself our paths – and thus our hands – ended up crossing. Of course, it wasn't like we ended up holding hands or anything, as our hands merely bumped into each other, but in my current state, the sensation of her soft hand against mine made me feel as if a sudden jolt of electricity went through me. _T-the Gods of Romatic Comedies really are toying with me today, aren't they… _"S-sorry." I quickly apologized and reached out further, grabbing my cup and setting it on the table next to my novel. _I need to be more careful._

"...It's okay." Yukinoshita's words were quiet, and I glanced up to see her looking away. _D-don't act so bashful! Is she doing this on purpose? _"You should learn to keep your hands to yourself in the future, however, Hiki-molester-kun." She then continued in her usual tone of voice. Hearing the more-or-less playful insult leaving Yukinoshita's mouth, I felt slightly relieved. _Good to know she's still her normal self. Well, it's not like she would change drastically over the course of a single weekend anyway, I'm just far more _aware _of her now than I was before._

"Well, maybe you should have been more careful with where you put your hands, Yukinoshita." I replied, readying myself for some of our usual banter. "Did you not see me reaching for the cup myself? I don't need everything to be handed to me on a silver platter." I brought the teacup to my lips and took a sip, the tea already being cool enough to drink thanks to Yukinoshita's method of pouring the tea from a height. _Wonderful as always._

"Oh, is that so? I was under the impression that you were unable to even perform such a simple task on your own, so, feeling pity, I decided that I would help you by handing the cup to you. Ah, I feel so sorry for your parents and sister, who need to put up with taking care of such a miserable being every single day." Like usual, Yukinoshita's words were sharp as icicles as they pierced through me, but as a veteran on this battlefield of banter, they were but a scratch.

"In that case, I believe your impression of me is incorrect, Yukinoshita. As, in fact, my parents couldn't ask for a better son. I leave them in peace and allow them to rest when they come back home from a long day of corporate slavery. I'm independent enough that as long as they keep the fridge filled with food, they don't have to worry about me. Sometimes I'll even cook something for them and Komachi, when they have to work overtime. I even help with the household chores, more so than Komachi does. I make sure to keep my room clean, empty and fill the dishwasher, and even take out the trash when necessary, though that is mostly Komachi's job." I returned Yukinoshita's verbal assault with my own, refuting her claims about my incompetence and uselessness with facts. "Of course, all of it will be invaluable knowledge and experience for my future as a househusband." Finishing with a proud smirk, I closed my eyes and took another sip of my tea. _How do you like that, Yukinoshita? _Hearing no reply from the raven-haired girl, I opened my eyes and looked towards her, only to find the girl massaging her temple with her free hand as she held onto the electric kettle with the other.

"Ahahaa… Hikki..." I looked towards my left to find Yuigahama looking at me awkwardly as she scratched her cheek. "That was… a little..." Yukinoshita let out a sigh, then walked over to the side table and placed the kettle on it. _What? It was a perfect counterargument._

"While the points you made were all good, they were all invalidated by your last remark. To think you _still _hold onto the idea of becoming a househusband..." Yukinoshita began to massage her temple again, the exasperation clear in her voice. _Oi, what do you mean? It's a perfectly valid plan for the future! I just need to study the bare minimum required and then find a rich wife willing to __marry me._

"Yeah… Yukinon is kinda right on that one, Hikki… You can't just rely on something as outlandish as that for your future." _Well… I guess a backup plan or two wouldn't hurt..._

"Truly, you are a lost cause, Hikigaya-kun. Even if you did manage to go through with that plan, your wife would have to be extremely smart and capable enough to be able to provide for the two of you by herself, let alone be willing to tolerate the presence of one such as yourself in the first place. It would be an incredibly difficult task to find someone that matches all of the criteria." While Yukinoshita's previous insults did no damage to me, now her words were supereffective. _W-well, I guess she does have a point… But… I'm not bad-looking, so it wouldn't be too difficult, right? _"Being able to provide for two people alone is a difficult enough task, and out of the people you know, I can only think of two who would have the skills for it – myself and Nee-san." Yuigahama seemed like she was about to retort, but gave up before any words left her mouth. _There is… a certain logic, I'll admit… _"And then the second issue of tolerating you. If we narrow down the selection to just Nee-san and I, then… Well, Nee-san would be able to tolerate you, but she is far more likely to just _play _with you until you're no longer amusing to her." _That description was spot-on… But, hey! Why are you painting such a bleak picture of my future? _"So, that would leave you with _me_, and..." Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes as she looked me up and down, scrutinizing me for all I was worth – which I guessed she believed wasn't very much. "...I _suppose _I could be persuaded to tolerate you enough, out of pity, if nothing else." Yukinoshita was now the one to wear a proud smile as she crossed her arms across her chest, seemingly relishing in her victory of destroying my argument with everything she had. _Taking me in out of pity? That's just sad, although… _Without even consciously realizing it, I began to picture a life where I would be the stay-at-home husband of Yukinoshita Yukino.

"_Ah, welcome home, Yukino dear. Would like dinner first? A bath? Or perhaps… me..?"_

…

_It… doesn't really have the same impact when the gender roles are reversed. Rather, it just comes off as quite odd and creepy. Wait, why am I thinking of this in the first place?!_

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door of the clubroom, and all three of our heads simultaneously turned towards it. _Hm? Isshiki? No, she doesn't usually knock, as far as I know. Could it then be… Miura? Did she decide to come to us or help after all?_

"_Ahem_. Please come in." Yukinoshita said and sat down in her seat, briefly glancing at me as she did. Shortly afterwards, the door was opened, and a head of blonde hair peeked into the room – but not the blonde I had been expecting.

"Good afternoon." Hayama Hayato greeted us as he stepped inside, his trademark smile plastered on his face. _Hayama? What's he doing here? _Hayama was still wearing his soccer uniform, so he had clearly come here straight from practice. _I can't believe all the sports clubs are still having practice when it's that cold outside. Then again, the field is always kept in good condition, and I suppose the exercise keeps everyone warm._

"What brings you here, Hayama-kun?" Yukinoshita asked, clearly as surprised by his sudden appearance as I was. Hayama walked up to us, but didn't take a seat, his gaze sweeping over the three of us before he replied.

"I… have a request for you."

* * *

**AN: Finally, this took ages. My original plan was to have this chapter out a week ago in time for Christmas, but that obviously didn't work out as I intended. So I guess instead of wishing a Merry Christmas to you all (or whatever other holiday you may or may not celebrate), I'll say Happy new year! Though, around the time I'm publishing this, there's still a few hours before 2020 for me. I haven't made any resolutions, because I know I won't be able to fulfil them. Heck, even all my plans for this holiday season have gone tits up, to put it bluntly, as evidenced by the delay I had in writing this. In any case, I have a pretty solid plan for the next chapter, but you'll have to wait until next decade before you see it! Haha, I know I'm so funny. I'll go see myself out now.**

**Happy new year again, and "see" you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3 - Two Requests

**AN: Hello again, dear readers! I don't have much to say in this AN, other than thanking all of you once again for showing interest in this story. There have been so many of you in such little time, I'm getting a little worried if I can meet all of your expectations, lol. But, I will try my best! And keep the reviews coming! As I said in the previous chapter, I love reading each and every single one of them, even if it's just to say you liked the chapter. Of course, I'm not forcing any of you to write anything, we are all beings with free will, after all. Or are we?**

**Philosophical and existential questions aside, let's get on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Two Requests**

"So in essence… You want us to stop the rumours about Miura-san spreading before they become a problem, is that correct, Hayama-kun?"

"Yes, precisely. I managed to disprove the rumours to the people I heard them from, but… I fear I won't be able to do the same if they spread to the rest of the student body. That's why I came to you for help."

I closed my eyes and crossed my arms as I thought about the request we had received. _Hmm… I do __kind of __understand where he's coming from with this, but… __Preventing the spread of a rumour he heard during his soccer practice?__ We aren't miracle workers. If a rumour spreads, we can't stop it, unless a certain someone has some underhanded methods for doing so… _I opened my eyes and glanced to my right, where, past Yuigahama, that "_certain someone_" was sitting, lazily leaning against his arm as he gazed at the blonde who had come to request our help. _Then again, even if Hikigaya-kun has some way to dispel these rumours, we wouldn't let him do it. Neither Yuigahama-__san__ or __myself __would let him sacrifice himself again for someone who is incapable of showing him proper gratitude – and he knows that. __Now, if he were to do something like that for _me…

_I would _definitely _know how to show him gratitude. Oh yes indeed._

_No, I can't be _fantasizing _right now. Focus and calm down, Yukino. Calm. Calm. Calm. Focus. Focus. Focus._

"What are these rumours about, anyway?" Hikigaya suddenly spoke out, bringing me out of my thoughts, and Hayama turned his gaze to him. "I'd wager there's at least half a dozen rumours going around the school about Miura, so what makes the one you heard special enough to bring to our attention?" _Hikigaya-kun… has a point. Miura-san is quite popular, so she has to have a lot of enemies, those who would want to take her place in the spotlight. But based on what I know of her personality, no-one would dare to openly oppose her, so they would very likely resort to something as petty as rumours… In a way, her situation is not that different from mine back in Middle School, now that I think about it… Jealousy is a powerful force._

"Well..." Hayama briefly looked towards Yuigahama, who had been largely silent, though I could tell she was feeling concerned for her friend. "The rumour I was told about said that someone had seen Yumiko _crying_, along with some other odd claims about her. I spent the lunch break with her today, but she certainly wasn't crying then, so I don't know what exactly might have caused the rumour." Hayama explained to us, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Hikigaya narrowing his eyes a little. _I don't believe he's telling us the full truth of the matter, either._

"Did… something happen, Hayato?" Yuigahama asked while circling the edge of her half-empty teacup with her finger, her concern now also evident in her voice. "I mean, Yumiko was acting a little weird today, right? Are these… rumours related to that, do you think?" Hayama looked up in thought for a moment before answering the pink-haired girl.

"I… don't think so. The rumour likely started during or after lunch break, when Yumiko left me alone in the classroom after we had eaten. She… was acting a little odd before she left, but that was it." Hayama replied to Yuigahama, then looked towards me again. "I guess it's possible someone saw her acting weird after she left, and then came to some sort of conclusion based on just that?"

"...Which would make the rumour baseless and false, is what you're saying." Hayama nodded to me in reply, and I brought my hand up to pinch the bridge of my nose. "So, what exactly do you want us to do? How far has the rumour spread already?"

"I heard it from one of my friends in the soccer club, who had heard it from his classmate, but I don't think it has spread that far yet. That's why I want to get rid of it now, before it builds up into something bigger and goes out of control." _That is understandable. Certainly, if someone says they saw Miura-san acting weird and noticeably different from usual after a lunch break with Hayama-kun, all sorts of ideas could stem from that. Even more so if the rumour has already developed to include crying. That is, of course, if we take what Hayama-kun is saying __about the rumour being completely baseless__ at face value, __that nothing out of the ordinary happened__… _I glanced towards Hikigaya again – which, I will admit, I had been doing a lot lately, but this time it was purely a _professional _glance instead of a _recreational _one – and tried to see what he thought, but his deadpan expression was unreadable.

"Couldn't you and Yumiko just… tell everyone the truth, then?" Yuigahama asked and glanced between the three of us with her in the clubroom. "You said you were able to do it with who you heard it from, right? If it hasn't spread, it would be easy to just come out and dispel it before it starts spreading, wouldn't it?" Hayama opened his mouth to answer, but Hikigaya was quicker than he was.

"In this case, that wouldn't work out, Yuigahama. As I said, there are likely plenty of rumours going around the school about Miura, all in attempt to damage her image. She's at the top of the social ladder, standing right next to Hayama, so there are plenty of people jealous and petty enough to start rumours like that." I nodded along to what Hikigaya said. _It is precisely as he says. Some of those rumours will even involve Hayama-kun himself, but they are less likely to be the ones meant to be harmful to Miura-san. _"But, those rumours will have little to nothing to back them up, so they're either short-lived, or not paid attention to. However, this time, it seems there might be some basis for the rumour, as well as more… _interesting implications_, let's say." _If the rumour says Miura-san left the classroom while crying, and she was known to spend the lunch break there with Hayama-kun… One very obvious assumption of what __could have __transpired comes to mind._

_R__ejection._

"What… exactly are you trying to say, Hikitani-kun?" Hayama asked warily. "There is _no_ basis for the rumour, as I've told you."

"I was just getting to that. And, we only have _your _word for there being no basis for the rumour – we'd have to hear from Miura as well to confirm it. Anyway, this rumour, unlike all the other ones about Miura, has a higher chance of actually becoming something big, like you fear. But, it has yet to spread to enough for that. If you were to do like Yuigahama suggested, you would only bring attention to the rumour, causing it to spread faster – the opposite of what you want." Hikigaya leaned back in his chair as he crossed his arms, seemingly having finished with his explanation.

"I see. Yes, I do believe you are correct, Hikigaya-kun. For once." I said and looked towards Hikigaya with a small smile, while he averted his gaze from mine. "The last time we had to deal with _unsavoury _rumours, it was best to dispel them publicly, since the rumour was already so widespread, but if we were to do it now, it would only serve to stoke the flames. I guess that rotten brain of yours is indeed capable of logical thought after all." I saw Hikigaya's face twist into a slight scowl, and he turned his gaze back to me. _I do so enjoy our 'verbal jousting'. Hikigaya-kun is so _cute _when he's sulking over a loss, __even when he tries to hide it by acting tough. And no matter what he might say, I know he enjoys it too. Ah, we truly are just the perfect match for each other… __Hikigaya-kun just needs to realize it._

"Oi, I take great pride in my ability to think logically, so I can't let your jab at my skills go unnoticed." Hikigaya retorted, and I smiled back at him, readying my counterargument.

"Um… Guys..." Yuigahama placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me before I could continue, her gaze flicking between me and the blonde sitting on the opposite side of the table from us. _Ah, right… Hayama-kun __is still present… Hmph, if only Hikigaya-kun and I could have some time for ourselves… No, now is not the time for that kind of thinking. __You already went through this, Yukino. Focus. _

"_Ahem_. My apologies. So, do you have an alternate proposal on how we could deal with this request, then? Or should we decline it?" I looked at Hayama for a moment, then turned my gaze back to Hikigaya.

"I do." Hikigaya replied quickly, leaning forwards as he did. "We can't dispel the rumour directly, so the only way to get rid of it is to introduce a new rumour in its place. One big and interesting enough that the rumour about Miura will simply die out." Hikigaya explained, and I mentally let out a sigh. _I __almost expected something along those lines… Certainly, it _is _a good idea. A louder noise will drown out any whispers. However…_

"...And what would a suitable rumour like that be, then? Can we even fabricate something 'interesting enough', as you put it, quickly enough so it spreads?" I voiced my concerns about Hikigaya's suggestion. _I have a bad feeling about what he might suggest, but… Hikigaya-kun should know better than to throw himself under the bus once again, only to help with a request from Hayama-kun._

"It would have to be something scandalous, but at least somewhat believable. Any concrete evidence would also help. Something like, '_Person A is in a relationship with Person B_' would work, if the people involved were known well-enough, but something simpler, such as '_Person A did something horrible_' would work better, and is guaranteed to spread like wildfire." Hikigaya waved his hand dismissively, as if his suggestions were nothing but a passing thought, and I felt a scowl forming on my face. _Of course, I should have known he'd suggest something like that…_

"But… wouldn't that then cause problems for the people involved? Especially if they are fake rumours?" Yuigahama asked, then bit her lip as her gaze flicked between her teacup and Hikigaya. "The rumour would have to be about… someone who would be willing to go along with it, because they… don't care about any rumours." _In other words, some__one__ like Hikigaya-kun. _I felt my hand balling up into a fist. _But I won't let him do that. __I won't let him be the scapegoat again__. _Just as I was about to refuse Hikigaya's suggestion, the black-haired boy in question spoke out again.

"W-well… You are right, Yuigahama." Hikigaya looked away from us, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Finding someone like that on such a short notice would be impossible, and… I doubt… that anyone here… would be willing to do it." Hikigaya's gaze flicked to both me and Yuigahama in rapid succession, and I felt a smile growing on my face as I let out a sigh of relief. _So he has learned that hurting himself is not always the right choice… I'm glad. _I kept smiling as I _indulged_ myself in watching the embarrassed Hikigaya. In the corner of my eye, though, I noticed Hayama giving Hikigaya a cold look, almost akin to the ones I admittedly gave him – and others – often, but his was filled with _actual _malice. _I didn't think I'd see that look from him ever again after Middle school… Ah, I see how it is. Not even Hayama-kun is above petty jealousy. _"So… _Ahem_. I don't think there's much we can do, Hayama." Hikigaya spoke out to break the silence, turning to face Hayama again, whose face was back to neutral in but a moment.

"I see… That is unfortunate." Hayama said and looked down at the ground for a moment, then lifted his gaze again, now with a small smile on his face. "Getting rid of a rumour with another rumour… That's so like you, Hikitani-kun." The look on Hayama's face was a mix of various emotions, and I was unable to single out each and every one of them. _Is that… pity? The same coldness is still there, along with the hint of jealousy I detected… So Hayama-kun doesn't approve of Hikigaya-kun's methods either, but for a different reason? _"I… guess that's that, then?" Hayama glanced between all three of us, getting ready to leave, before Hikigaya raised his hand to stop him.

"Hmm… Well… there is a way we could make my plan work." Hikigaya said and picked up his own teacup – empty ever since the start of this conversation – and began to idly inspect it, while all three of us turned to face him. For a moment, I thought he might still suggest making himself the scapegoat, but one look at his – admittedly handsome – face told me otherwise. Hikigaya looked thoughtful as he turned the cup in hands, the faintest hint of a smirk on his face. "It depends on how willing you are when it comes to _taking a hit_ for your _friends_, Hayama." Hayama's eyes widened at Hikigaya's words, but they were soon back to normal as he realized what the black-haired boy had meant.

"So… You mean to make _me _the subject of the rumour you would then use to get rid of the one about Yumiko?" Hayama asked, his voice low and wary as if he was carefully circling around a beast, ready to jump at him at any moment if he made one wrong move.

"Precisely. I mean, you obviously _care_ for Miura, since you came here to request our help with dispelling a rumour about her, so it would only make sense if you were to directly help with that. Taking the fall for her – for your _friend_ – is the least you could do." At first, I was confused by what Hikigaya had said. _'Obviously care for her'? I wouldn't go so far as to say that. Hayama-kun likely came here with the request because the rumour, if it got out of control, would bring him trouble – selfishness. I know this, because Hayama-kun is still the same as he was in Middle school, and I'm fairly certain Hikigaya-kun is also aware of what he's really like, so why would… _As I shifted my gaze from Hikigaya to Hayama, all became clear to me.

The look on the blonde's face was calm, but with a hint of surprise – just what you would expect from someone as cool and collected as Hayama Hayato. However, what I saw in his _eyes _was anything but calm. It was small, barely noticeable only thanks to having known Hayama since he was young, but within his eyes swirled flames of jealous _anger_. Pure _rage_, directed at Hikigaya, but kept bottled up inside. _I see how it is, now. Hayama-kun isn't just jealous of Hikigaya-kun for whatever reason – though I suspect that _I _and my… somewhat close-ish relationship with Hikigaya-kun __have a__t least something __to do with it__ – but he feels outright _inferior _to __Hikigaya-kun__, and that enrages him. Hikigaya-kun knows that, obviously, so this was a psychological play on his part. __Hayama-kun knows Hikigaya-kun is willing and capable of self-sacrifice for those close to him, __and __Hikigaya-kun is insinuating that Hayama-kun is _not _capable of doing the same._

_And__t__hey both know that to be true._

I smiled and turned my gaze to Hikigaya again, feeling a slight bit of admiration for him growing within me. Not the admiration I had for him due to my _feelings_, but a "professional" admiration for his skills and intellect – no matter how twisted and vile his usage of them may have been. _A part of me is disappointed that he would use his __brain power__ for something like this __instead of something more useful or productive__, but I cannot deny the ingenious of this plan – __whatever it was that he is trying to accomplish with it__. __Obviously to wind up Hayama-kun, but what for..? Perhaps to pressure him into going along with his plan in order to solve the request?__But… something __about this doesn't quite add up in my head__… I almost get the feeling that Hikigaya-kun might have some information regarding the request that the rest of us don't have. __But, if that were the case, what would that information even be? I know Hayama-kun isn't telling us the full truth, but the probability that he has told Hikigaya-kun something prior to this conversation is close to zero, and the only other person who would know something is Miura-san… Unless Hiki-eavesdropper-kun has heard something from Yuigahama-san, he shouldn't know anything about Miura-san's side in this. That is only the logical conclusion. __Perhaps I am thinking too much about this._

"But, wouldn't that then… cause problems for Hayato, Hikki?" Yuigahama questioned from Hikigaya carefully, pulling me out of my thoughts and back to the present. "If we make up a mean rumour about Hayato, wouldn't that just replace the problem with a different one?" _Certainly, that line of thinking is correct, and it is something I would have expected from Hikigaya-kun, but…_

"I never said the rumour _had _to be something mean, just that it had to be _interesting_." Hikigaya replied as he placed his teacup back down, and Yuigahama made a little '_oh_' sound under her breath. "It just so happens to be that the more horrible rumours spread quicker, and thus would be more effective. Humans are selfish creatures of malice, after all. When the chance to drag someone else down appears, everyone jumps on the hate bandwagon like rabid dogs at a scrap of food. Source: Me. Ostracising others is what the human race does best – after waging war, of course, though it could be argued that war is another form of ostracising as well." Hikigaya finished with a huff, crossing his arms as he did and leaning back in his chair again, and I couldn't help letting out a sigh of exasperation as I closed my eyes and brought a hand up to rub my temple. _This is the man I, Yukinoshita Yukino, have fallen in love with? Well, his dark and brooding cynic side does have its charm, I suppose… Oh well, he just need someone to take care of him, to heal the wounds this world has given him. _

_And by someone, I of course mean myself. There is _no-one _else capable of such a feat, after all._

Realizing what my thoughts had once again wandered to, I forced myself to calm down by taking a deep breath, which, given the context of the situation, shouldn't have been seen as odd by the onlookers. _There is no need to have my emotions take over me, now. I have plenty of time to make _my _Hikigaya-kun realize __that I alone can stand with him, so for now, I can focus on this request. _I opened my eyes and found my gaze landing on Yuigahama. _That's right. There is _no _competition, after all._

"Hikigaya-kun." Satisfied with having calmed my thoughts – ignoring the somewhat _dark _undertone I subconsciously acknowledged they had – I addressed the black-haired boy at the other end of the table, and he turned to face me, his face betraying no emotion. "While there is a logic behind your words – however twisted it may be – I would ask you to refrain from telling us of your childhood traumas. While Yuigahama-san and myself would feel _pity _towards you, our guests are not always inclined to think so, and may even be scared away by your stories." Hikigaya flinched as I delivered my words to him with a smile that I didn't mean to be particularly cold, but it was surely interpreted as such by the others.

"Do you have to be that harsh..?" Hikigaya grumbled and turned away from me, and I felt my smile widening ever so slightly."Besides, I never directly stated that any of that was from my personal trauma. I've never been in a position high enough for other people to want to knock me down anyway, and if I was, I'd take _pride _in knowing that someone held me in such high regard." Hikigaya grinned as he turned back to face me, but it soon turned to a self-deprecating smile. "...Though I guess people do also enjoy kicking people when they're already down..." I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt flash through me, having been the one to initially bring up childhood traumas.

"S-sorry..." I apologized quietly, and saw Hikigaya's dead eyes widening in surprise. _I know he's not the type to let his past affect him, but… I should have been more careful with the topic._

"Oh, er… I-it's fine, Yukinoshita." I glanced back at Hikigaya who looked away from me awkwardly, while Yuigahama's gaze flicked between us frantically.

"It's okay, Hikki!" Yuigahama suddenly shouted out and grabbed a hold of Hikigaya's hand, and I felt myself twitch. _Calm. Calm. Calm. _"Me and Yukinon will help you, Hikki, so you don't have to worry about any trauma. We're here for you, so you don't need to be hung up about what happened in the past!" Yuigahama pulled Hikigaya's hand closer to her as she looked up at his surprised face. _CalmCalmCalmCalmCalm. It's okay, this is just what Yuigahama-san is like. _I had to keep my own right arm in place by holding it down, a strange and somewhat alien feeling welling up inside of me at the sight of the scene before me. _Of course, it makes sense that I would _detest _Hikigaya-kun being in physical contact with other girls, given my own feelings towards him, so it's perfectly acceptable-_

…

_Am I being jealous?_

_No, I went over this earlier today. This is _not_ jealousy. __But then, why am I… reacting in such a _drastic _way..? _I looked down at my left hand, currently pinning down my right wrist. _What was I about to do to intervene..?_

"I-I said it's fine." Hikigaya said and pulled his hand free from Yuigahama's clutches, and I felt the odd feeling within me disperse. _Hikigaya-kun… he belongs with me. I need to make Yuigahama-san understand that._ "There is no trauma, I swear. Even if there was any, I'd have gotten over it by now." Hikigaya turned back forwards, and I followed it to meet Hayama's blue eyes looking directly into mine, though the eye contact was short-lived as he turned to Hikigaya only after a moment. _That was… a bit odd. Why was he looking at me so intently? _ "Anyway, back to the request… So, unless you're willing to allow us to fabricate a rumour about yourself, Hayama, there's not much we can do regarding the Miura rumour. You'll just have to hope it doesn't take off, and if it does, you need to prepare for the eventual questions you'll face." Hayama dropped his gaze downwards, furrowing his eyebrows as he thought.

"Oh, um… I..." Yuigahama fiddled with a strand of her hair as her eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to come up with something to say, no doubt having interpreted Hayama's silence as him giving up. "I-I can talk to Yumiko, and we'll help you with it, even if Hikki and Yukinon don't." She managed to say after a few seconds, and the blonde lifted his gaze to meet hers. "I'm sure Yumiko won't like having rumours about her either, and… so… You know what she's like, she'll put the people who started it in their place!" Yuigahama did a little fist-pump in the air, and Hayama smiled at her, though it felt like there was _uncertainty _in his smile.

"_Arigatou_, Yui. But, you don't need to worry, I'll talk to Yumiko about this when I get the chance. And you're right. _The Yumiko I know _would do just that." Hayama said to the pink-haired girl, and something about his words caught my attention, but I couldn't quite place it. _The way he worded that… Well, there's nothing wrong about it, __and I don't think he's lying, just… something is off. _Once again, I stole a glance at Hikigaya, but apart from deducing that he must have been thinking about something, I couldn't read anything from his expression. "Hikitani-kun." Hayama stood up and turned to Hikigaya as he addressed him with a neutral tone. "I'm sorry, but I don't want you to solve my request by just replacing the problem with a different one." Hayama turned away, then muttered under his breath. "...Even if that is the way you do things."

"...Sure, whatever. It was a nearly impossible request to begin with." Hikigaya replied, his eyes darting to me briefly.

"Indeed. I apologize that we cannot help you with this, Hayama-kun, but we aren't capable of miracles, nor do we have authority within this school to dictate what people say." I continued after him in a polite manner.

"A-ah, umm… I-I can still help, Hayato. If people start going after Yumiko, I'll... be with her." Yuigahama added hastily, and the blonde glanced at her briefly to offer another smile to her.

"I doubt things will escalate to those heights, but… There will definitely be problems. I'll… take my leave, now." No goodbyes were said – though Yuigahama did offer Hayama a silent wave – as Hayama walked out of the door. Immediately after the door closed behind him, I heard Hikigaya sigh.

"...I don't think I've ever asked, Yuigahama, but how do you deal with him on a daily basis?" Hikigaya asked as he leaned down on the table, lazily resting his head on his arms.

"Eh? What do you mean, Hikki? I mean… I know you and Hayato don't really get along for whatever reason, but..." Yuigahama brought a finger to her chin as she thought for a moment. "He's… a nice guy. I think you'd be good friends, Hikki, since you're so nice as well. Hayato is always the first one to have your back when someone says something bad about you, you know?" She then continued with a smile, while I lifted up my own teacup, which had been largely untouched. The tea had cooled down, but it was still drinkable.

"Me? Friends with that faker riajuu?" Hikigaya scoffed. "The guy can't even get my name right, and can't you see how he despises me? I can assure you, the feeling is mutual. And he _still _comes to us to solve his problems..."

"Mou, don't be so mean, Hikki!" Yuigahama lightly punched Hikigaya on the shoulder and pouted, and the black-haired boy rolled his eyes in reply.

"Am I nice or am I mean? Make up your mind, woman." I felt a smile growing on my face at the scene. Despite my feelings for Hikigaya having grown recently – along with the _disturbing _thoughts they sometimes brought to my mind – I was still very fond of the Service Club atmosphere. A small part of me didn't ever want to break this dynamic, but I knew it was inevitable. _Once Hikigaya-kun becomes _all mine_, there will be no going back to how things were. At least, not fully. __Some seating rearrangements will be in order, at the very least._

"Don't be too harsh on him, Yuigahama-san. Hiki-NEET-kun here likely did all that just to get Hayama-kun to lose faith in the request so he could avoid having to do any work." I said to Hikigaya with a slight smile, meeting his eyes with my gaze. "It's like second nature to him, so he can't help it, the poor thing." Hikigaya scowled a little, then averted his gaze from me. "In any case, Hikigaya-kun, do you happen to know something _more _about Hayama-kun's request than what he told us? I can tell he wasn't telling us everything, but from the things you said, I got the feeling you knew something." Hikigaya looked back at me with a raised eyebrow, while Yuigahama glanced between us with a confused expression.

"I… No, I don't." Hikigaya replied – after a moment of thought, which I found a little suspicious, but ignored it for now. "Like you said, Hayama didn't tell us everything, and I think he was lying when he said that the rumour about Miura had no basis for it. If it really is a false rumour, like he said, would he even need to come to us for help? He should be able to clear any misunderstandings on his own with his social skills, especially with Miura on his side." Hikigaya explained and sat back upright. _That… does make sense._

"Yes… Certainly, he wouldn't need to ask for our help if the rumour really was baseless slander – it would be much easier to get the teachers involved than us." I said as I looked upwards in thought. _Still… Could Hikigaya-kun know something else..? We did all sort of promise to be more open with each other, so I don't think he'd just hold information from us. Unless __that information__ was completely meaningless._

"So you're saying that… something _did _happen between Yumiko and Hayato?" Yuigahama asked, her grip on the teacup tightening. "Yumiko _was _not quite herself today after lunch, but… She was back to normal after Mathematics, so I'm sure..."

"You mean after she was done with that whole '_fetching drinks with Hayama_' thing?" Hikigaya asked in turn, earning a look of slight surprise from Yuigahama. "They could have easily 'made up' then, if they argued, or something. Though, I find that unlikely."

"So you _were _looking at us, Hikki!" Yuigahama's fist connected with Hikigaya's shoulder again. "You said you weren't paying attention to us when I asked you about Yumiko, but you obviously were if you know that!"

"That is quite alarming, Yuigahama-san. Would you like me to report this _stalking _to Hiratsuka-sensei?" I said with a slight smile and glanced at Hikigaya while bringing my teacup up to my lips again.

"H-hold on! I was not stalking! I wasn't even looking at your clique! You were being so loud about it, _Chang'e _herself probably heard everything you were blabbering about." Yuigahama tilted her head in confusion at Hikigaya's reference to Chinese myth, and he let out a small sigh. "Not even _Journey to the West_..? What have you been doing during literature classes… Never mind. In any case, there was not much I could do about accidentally overhearing your conversation. You were _asking _to be overheard with how loud you were being."

"Well… I guess… Sorry, Hikki. Ahahaa..." Yuigahama let out an awkward laugh as Hikigaya sighed, then she looked down at her teacup, picked it up and took a sip, her face twisting into displeasure. "It's gotten cold… Ah! N-not that it tastes bad, you made it, Yukinon, so it's still good!" She then quickly added and took another sip.

"You don't have to force yourself, Yuigahama-san. I can always go refill the water and brew another cup for you." I said to the girl on my right as I placed my own cup back on the table. _I would have done it__ already__, but I do not want to leave Yuigahama-san alone with Hikigaya-kun. Perhaps I would have had time to refill the water before they arrived, had I not been waiting for them – waiting for _Hikigaya-kun –_ by the entrance… Ah, he was so _close _to me,__ then… While I had planned it, it still took me by surprise to see him up close, and had Yuigahama-san not been there, I wouldn't have been able to keep my hands to myself. And when he bumped my hand earlier as well… I never would have thought close proximity with him would affect me so. I'll need to condition myself more to him, so that I can then _claim _him as my own – like we are meant to be._

"Oh, don't worry about it, Yukinon. As I said, it's still good!" Yuigahama brought her cup to her lips again, drinking the rest of the tea within it in one go. "But, thanks anyway, Yukinon!" Suddenly, Yuigahama leaned closer to me and enveloped me in a hug, the sudden physical contact making me jump a little.

"Ah… You… don't have to thank me..." I awkwardly let my hands fall to my sides as I reluctantly accepted the pink-haired girl's hug.

"Ehehee… Yukinon is the best..!" I let out a sigh as Yuigahama squeezed onto me tighter. _I hope she isn't this _affectionate _with Hikigaya-kun… _Suddenly, an ominous feeling welled up inside of me, and my hands twitched upwards, but I stopped myself before I did anything. _No, Yuigahama-san knows to keep her hands off him, I'm sure. Not like she would have the courage to do anything like this with him anyway… Well, I'm not much better in that regard, but that is only a matter of time. Soon enough, Hikigaya-kun will be doing so to me himself. _

I looked past Yuigahama and caught Hikigaya staring at us with a small smile on his face, one of the rare ones that didn't come off as creepy and made my heart beat just a little faster. Once his eyes met mine, though, he flinched and quickly looked away, opening the book he had been reading again. _That's right… Hikigaya-kun and I are meant for each other, and no-one can get between us. He just needs to realize it, and he will, in due time. And then…_

_I'm the only one he'll show that smile to._

* * *

Coincidence.

A concurrence of events or circumstances that have no causal connection to each other. Coincidences happen all the time to every single one of us. You happen to meet with a friend when you're out shopping, or you write down something in an essay and someone else writes the exact same thing, or you go loan a book from the library, only to find someone else wanting to loan the same book at the same time. Coincidences are, by their very nature, completely random, unpredictable occurrences that we have no control over, as humans are not omnipotent.

But what if it _was_ possible to manipulate the chances of something happening? A famous Indian writer once said that there is nothing we can do without mathematics, that everything around us is mathematics, everything is _numbers_. If we were to take that literally, would coincidences – would the randomness of chance – also simply be numbers? If they were, that would mean one would be able to calculate them, and thus, _control _them, at least to some degree. If you can calculate the chance for something specific to occur, or for specific circumstances to exist, it would then be possible to predict _when _and _where _they would occur, thus eliminating chance and making the event guaranteed to happen – eventually. Of course, _I _am not capable of such feats, given my sub-par mathematics skills, and even if I was as good at the subject as say, Yukinoshita Yukino, I still don't think I would be able to _completely _erase the randomness of chance. The theory of _Laplace's Demon _tells us how difficult it would be to predict the future with mathematics, and no computer ever could handle all the calculations needed for it – let alone a human.

However, the idea that everything around us is mathematics is not wrong – no matter how much I dislike that notion. Chance may not be so easily calculable, but other events are. With the necessary information, one can calculate the _probability_ of something happening, such as how likely it is to roll a six on a die twice in a row. But calculating the chance for a coincidence is nigh-impossible, and if it were possible, the event would cease to be a coincidence, as it would then become predictable. Of course, anyone can make predictions and say that a coincidence is going to happen to them when they go out shopping, but whether or not it actually happens is still completely up to chance – if it were not, the coincidence would have to be "pre-planned", thus making it not a coincidence at all.

This is all very complicated, and despite it not directly involving any math, just the mere thought of it is making my head hurt. Why am I then monologuing about it in the first place? Simple.

Because I am currently face-to-face with a coincidence.

For the _second _time in a row.

And just like if a coincidence was calculable, it would cease to be a coincidence, the same can be said if the coincidence happens more than once – each subsequent occurrence of the coincidence makes it less and less an actual coincidence.

Thus, I am finding myself doubting whether the scene before me is an actual coincidence or not – and _that _is making me quite confused.

"Ah! What took you so long, Hikio? You left the classroom before I did."

"...What are you doing here, Miura?"

The blonde who was sat down on the ground in front of me tilted her head in confusion as she looked at me over her shoulder, the relatively simple gesture seeming oddly _cute _coming from the person in question – as well as a little out of character, I felt, given that it was directed at _me_.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm eating lunch." Miura lifted up a bento box that she had in her lap, as well as a can of MAX coffee. _Ah, I see that you have become a woman of culture as well… Wait, that's not what I should be focusing on right now._

"Why here, though? I would have imagined you would want to eat with your clique." I asked, taking a few steps forward and noticing that the layer of snow on the concrete next to Miura on her left had been cleaned off – enough space for a person to sit down on.

"Well… Hina is still ill, and Yui's eating with Yukinoshita again today, so it would just be me and the guys. And I like, need to have some time for myself to think about what I'm going to do with… you know." Miura replied as she placed her bento back down on her lap. _I didn't think she could cook… Well, she did help back during that summer camp Hiratsuka-sensei forced us into, and she wasn't _terrible_, but… _"What about you? Don't you like, ever eat with Yui and Yukinoshita?" Against my own wishes, I flinched a little at Miura's sudden question, and judging by her expression, it wasn't left unnoticed by the blonde.

"...I prefer eating alone." I replied and averted my gaze from Miura, her own olive-green eyes still fixated onto me curiously. "I still don't get why here, though. If you wanted to be alone, there are plenty of other places to do it, especially given that I told you this was a place I enjoy eating my lunch at." I then continued after a brief pause, looking towards the blonde again.

"Well, like… That's just it. I figured you would like, come here to eat lunch again, so after you left, I came here as well. I wanted to talk with you again." _D-don't say things that will be easily misinterpreted! __The me from Middle school would have totally taken your words as something special and embarrassed himself. So, please, don't say things like that. It'll make me remember those times._

"What? Because I happened to offer you counselling yesterday after you got rejected? Please, I may be a part of the service club, but I'm not just some _pack mule _you can dump all your problems onto. I have feelings too, you should think about them sometimes, woman." Miura's eye twitched in what I guessed was annoyance, and she pointed toward me with her chopsticks.

"Haah? What the hell are you saying?" I saw a flash of anger in Miura's eyes, making them shine with an almost emerald-sheen as she glared at me. While the glare did make me fear for my life, I couldn't help but smile at the sight, and upon seeing that, Miura's anger turned to confusion.

"Well, it's good to see you're still the Fire Queen I know." I said and walked up to Miura, not looking at her as I used my foot to clean off some of the snow from the concrete. "I don't know what I would have done if you had been reduced from a ferocious tiger to a sobbing kitten." I continued as I sat down, leaving the snowless spot of the concrete between myself and Miura. I have my manners, so I wouldn't want to creep her out by sitting right next to her, even if there was a suitable spot for it.

"Hikio..." I glanced at Miura while I took out my own can of MAX, placing it down on my right while I opened the packaging of the bread I had bought at the cafeteria. "How can you be so _nice _under that creepy shell of yours? I don't think I've _ever _met anyone as kind as you, and to think _you _would take that title." I raised an eyebrow in question at Miura's words. _Me? Kind? Well, I guess I am __in a way__, though she's going a bit overboard with that statement, I think. Why is she thinking so highly of me all of a sudden, when all I did was give her some consolation? Anyone could have done the same. _"I mean, like, you said that you didn't like seeing me cry, right? And then you said all those nice things to me… Well, and some '_not-so-nice_' things as well, but mostly nice things."

"Any self-respecting man would feel the same. While I don't believe in silly things like chivalry – I mean, really, why should we men treat women specially, when they don't do the same for us? Why should I give up my precious seat in public transport just because a pretty girl asked me to? I've got my manners and common decency, but don't expect me to do things like that just because you happen to be a woman. Anyway, while I don't believe in chivalry, I still find the idea of a crying girl despicable. It might just be because of my instincts as an older brother, but if a girl shows weakness like that, I can't help but feel having to 'be nice' to them." I reached down for my can of MAX, opened it and took a long swig, the warm liquid tasting heavenly out in the cold.

"So… If it had been any other girl in my place, you would have done the same?" Miura asked, and I glanced at her as I bit into my bread again, seeing a somewhat thoughtful look on her face.

"I… wouldn't go that far. If it was someone I didn't know, I doubt it. I will say, other than my initial show of concern, I wasn't going to associate with you at all yesterday. But then you asked me about Hayama and went on that emotional speech of yours. Have to say, while I do much prefer the ferocious tiger, seeing the one and only Miura Yumiko act so meek was quite amusing as well." I saw Miura's cheeks reddening slightly in embarrassment, and she lightly punched me on the shoulder. _Ow. That had more force than Yuigahama's punches do. I know it might be impossible for you, Miura, but please refrain from physical violence. __It hurts. What a surprise._

"T-that was… Alright, geez, fine. I was emotional, but I couldn't help it. It's not like I particularly _wanted _to pour out my heart to you specifically, I just didn't have anyone else I could turn to, and you happened to be there." Miura said as she averted her gaze, though her fist lingered for a short while, keeping contact with my shoulder. _So she does acknowledge that our meeting yesterday was nothing but a coincidence… Why does she keep insisting I did something special, then? Also, what was with that line? Are you a tsundere? _"But… I am glad it was you, Hikio." I turned to look at Miura, and was met with a beaming smile, one filled with warmth I had not been expecting. "You really helped me yesterday, and I got to see a new side of you I didn't know about before." Miura's smile was so warm and _genuine_ I could almost swear the snow around us began to melt, and I had to avert my gaze from her. _That smile has to be a violation of the Geneva Convention… Miura, your opinion of me has done a 180 too quick for my liking. Scary._

"...It's not like I did anything special. You just admitted yourself that our meeting yesterday was a coincidence." I looked off into the distance, towards the tennis courts, not daring to look at Miura again, lest I get hit by another sneak attack. _It's already enough that I have to deal with my feelings for Yukinoshita, I can't have another girl tugging at my heartstrings as well… Though, it's not like she's purposefully doing it, nor is she actually tugging at them, I'm just more fragile now than I used to be. I need to steel myself again, I can't be going too soft after all I've been through. That only leads to suffering._

"I feel like we went through this already… There's just no convincing you, huh?" Miura said and let out a sigh. "But, it is like, fun to talk with you, Hikio. We should do it more often."

"Wouldn't Hayama get suspicious if you suddenly started talking to me like we're friends or something? In fact, isn't he suspicious that you're spending the lunch break without them?" I asked from the blonde, seeing her place a meatball into her mouth out of the corner of my eye.

"I told the guys I had something to do this lunch break, so I couldn't eat with them, but I don't think it will work again in the future, at least not any time soon." Miura replied and took a sip of her MAX. _That… makes it sound like you're planning on coming here during lunch again. Do you really wish to steal away my precious moments of solitude from me that much, woman? _"Besides, Hayato is already suspicious that I'm involved with you." Miura said and turned to face me, and I turned my gaze to meet hers. "He asked me yesterday if you were the one that told me about his '_mask_'. Then he said some terrible things about you, like how you were lying, that he doesn't have a 'mask' at all. I'm… I'm sorry, Hikio. I couldn't talk back to him about the things he said about you. I was a coward, and it would have only made him suspect that you're in this with me more." Miura bit her lip as she apologized. _I'm not 'in this with you', though. My involvement with you ended with yesterday's lunch break, though I guess it didn't end _completely_, given that we're having this conversation right now._

"Don't be sorry. I could care less what he thinks of me. There are already plenty of nasty rumours going around about me, I'm sure, so what's one more person despising my existence?" Miura looked at me with an expression that said she wanted to say something, but couldn't get the words out, and I didn't let her, not wanting to hear any words of pity. "Oh, speaking of rumours, Hayama came to the club with a request yesterday. Apparently, someone had seen you running out of the classroom in tears during lunch break. Hayama was told about it during his soccer practice, and he came to us immediately afterwards." Miura's eyes widened slightly as she listened to me, then her grip on her chopsticks tightened.

"That's… not good. What did he ask for help with? And did you accept?" Miura's gaze was fixated on me, and I almost felt like she was going to burn through my head with the anxiety I was feeling from her. _Turning anxiety into laser beams… What a lame superpower._

"He wanted us to dispel the rumour before it takes off, but when I told him what it would require, he changed his mind and said he'd deal with it himself." I replied, averting my eyes from Miura again, her oppressive gaze making me feel anxious as well. "He said that the rumour was baseless, and that nothing had happened between you two during lunch – an obvious lie, but the girls bought it. Well, Yukinoshita figured he wasn't telling us the _full _truth, but I'm not sure if she suspects that he was lying." Miura finally looked away from me, biting her lip as she stared down at her bento. "I… doubt he made the request for your sake, though. If a rumour like that were to spread, people would make all sorts of assumptions about what had happened between you two – many of them correct." Miura closed her eyes she silently listened to me, so I continued. "And then when that information got out… Well, it would cause all the lovestruck maidens of this school to swarm to Hayama, seeing their chance arrive. He's used you to repel them all before, but without you acting as the buffer, Hayama would quickly be overwhelmed, so his request was made for selfish rea-"

"Okay okay I get it!" Miura punched me on the shoulder again, this time a little harder, and I looked towards her to be met with an expression that was a mix of both anger and hurting. "...So you think there's no hope for Hayato, then?" I raised an eyebrow in question, but the blonde didn't say anything further, waiting for me to answer.

"Hope? You mean… When you said you wanted to change him as well, to be more open?" Miura nodded weakly in reply, and I had to avert my gaze again. _Well, in truth… _

_I don't believe there's _any _hope for that. _

_Even if Miura got everyone in the clique on her side, Hayama wouldn't just give up and go along with their 'being more open and genuine' thing. I don't think he ever planned to be proper friends with a__ny__ of them, that he would just disappear from their lives after graduation. __Everyone's got skeletons in their closets, but Hayama is keeping his entire life and personality in __his__ and then walking around with a disguise… I can't imagine anyone more un-genuine __than him._

"...If I'm being honest… I don't think there is." I looked back at Miura and saw her dropping her gaze again, clearly dejected by my words. "But, I don't think this plan of yours is completely doomed yet. Changing Hayama will be impossible, but changing the others won't be. If you get a couple of them to understand what you've yourself understood, you'll be able to pressure the rest of the group together. I'm sure they would all prefer having real friendships as well, even I they don't realize it yet." _The clique has always been following Hayama around, he is what keeps them together. Should he suddenly disappear, the dynamic would break, and while they would be able to get along for a while, they would eventually drift apart, without even realizing why. Such is the fate of superficial relationships. __But… if Miura could make those into real friendships… __Well, it would definitely be interesting, to say the least._

"...You're right, I can't just give up." Miura said and looked up at me, a confident expression now on her face. "There you go again, giving me the confidence boost I needed. Thanks, Hikio." Miura flashed me another, smaller smile. _'__Again'? I guess what I said yesterday could have given her confidence, but… It's not like I'm doing th__at__ on purpose, I'm just stating facts. _"So, what should I do, then? I feel like Hina might be the best person to talk to, since she's actually pretty smart… And then this rumour you said Hayato heard might be trouble..." Miura trailed off and turned to look at me, as if she expected me to answer her.

"...Why are you asking me?" Miura blinked, the slightly confused look on her face indicating she found my question stupid. "This is your problem, so figure it out yourself. Of course, you could bring it to the club as a request, then we could all try to help you." I looked away from Miura and bit into my bread again.

"I… can't make a request to the club, because Yui is there. I need to talk to her about this, but telling her as I'm making a request to the club isn't like, the right way to do it, I feel. Plus, I need to like, actually figure out what I'm going to first, if I want to go through with this." I glanced back at Miura, seeing her tracing the edge of her can of MAX with a finger idly as she gazed off into the distance, before abruptly stopping and turning back to me. "That's why I'm asking you, Hikio. You're smart, and you've already helped me so much. I know it's my own problem, but… I can't like, do this on my own." I stared into Miura's pleading eyes for a few moments, then closed my own as I let out a sigh.

"So you want to make this a private request for me alone, huh? Can't say I'm too happy about the idea, and those two won't be either if they find out." I said and brought my can of MAX to my lips. _I did it last time with the Christmas event, and while they weren't angry per se, I could tell they were displeased that I had been working on that without them. Then again… there is a part of me curious about how this is all going to turn out. If Miura succeeds, Hayama will be knocked down a peg, and that would definitely be a sight to see. Plus, it does directly involve Yuigahama as well… Gah! Look at me, actually caring for other people. __Maybe I have gone soft._

"Please, Hikio. You're the only one I can turn to right now." All of a sudden, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I nearly jumped as my head whipped around to look at Miura, whose pleading gaze was now boring into me. "I won't take much of your time, even if you can just talk with me to help me come up with something, that's enough already. I'll even compensate you for it. Just..." Miura's eyes suddenly began to water slightly, and I felt her grip on my shoulder tightening. "...I don't want to be alone in this. I don't… want to be _alone_." And with those words, everything clicked into place.

Miura is popular, even a blind and dumb person could see that. If she was even half as pretty in Middle school, she would have been popular back then as well, and unless her social skills have developed only during High School, she would have had no problem making friends. Then again, with how _naive _she was in believing Hayama, it's possible that her current clique was indeed her first "friend group", but I'm willing to overlook that – Miura was _blinded _by love until now, after all. It is also possible she knew how fragile her clique was all this time, but she refused to accept such a reality and acted along, pushing any dark thoughts away, only to have them resurface once she saw Hayama's mask beginning to crack.

Anyhow, from what I know about Miura, she's never been alone, and now that she is faced with the very real possibility of her clique collapsing, she's _afraid _of it. It doesn't seem like she has many friends outside her clique, and with the rumour going around, threatening to destroy her position at the top of the social hierarchy, there aren't many who would become her friend – other than out of pity, but that isn't much better than the superficial relationships she has now. Miura knows that, and hates it. She doesn't want that to happen.

She doesn't want to be _alone_.

I'm used to it, having been alone my entire life, but someone like Miura? Unless she has some sort of "_dark past_" about how she used to be a loner and got bullied, she wouldn't have the strength to survive being alone, being _ostracized_.

Or, perhaps precisely _because _she has a dark past, and thus knows what it's like to be alone, she doesn't want to lose her friends. She doesn't want to be alone again, because she was once before, and hated it.

This is all meaningless speculation on my part, as I barely know anything about Miura, but the one thing that is clear is that she is afraid of being alone. While for me, being alone is what I prefer, I know for others it could be the same as _death_. Miura definitely seems to belong to the latter group. Whatever her past may be, she does not want to be left alone in this cruel world, and that brings her to desperation, to asking help from _me_.

Miura's gaze was now directed downwards, her hand still gripping onto my shoulder as her other one was curled up into a fist in her lap. I couldn't see her face very well, but I could guess she must have been holding back tears. For a brief moment, the scene in front of me overlapped with a memory I had, one where Komachi was in a similar position as Miura was now, gripping onto me for dear life as tears flowed from her eyes, and I embraced my little sister to calm her, to reassure her. I don't know how long ago it was, or what had even happened beforehand, but it was a memory I both loved and hated, for it contained both one of my most treasured things in life, and one of my most hated things in life.

My little sister Komachi, and a crying girl.

"Haah… Curse my older brother instincts… they'll be the end of me one day..." I said with a sigh and moved up a hand to scratch my head, noticing Miura lift her gaze slightly, her eyes still moist. "Look, Miura, I'll… I'll do what I can. I won't make any promises, and you'll likely come to regret asking for my help, but… I can't stand looking at you like that, and I definitely won't have it weighing on my consciousness if you became a depressed, cynical loner like me, so-" I was suddenly cut off as blonde locks flashed past my eyes and a sudden weight descended on me, followed by a pleasant warmth enveloping me and an even more pleasant smell entering my nostrils. _W-w-wha..!_

"Thank you, Hikio!" It took my shocked brain a moment to process everything, but once I felt something _soft _pressing up against my right arm, every single alarm bell in my head was ringing at full volume. _Soft! __Round! __Danger! Abandon ship!_

"O-oi! M-Miura! W-what the hell are you d-doing!" I ignored my skyrocketing heartbeat and the heat on my cheeks to the best of my ability as I attempted to free myself from Miura's unexpected embrace. _W-why would she… do s-something like this out of the blue?! I understand wanting to show gratitude, but this is too sudden! _After a few agonizingly long moments, Miura finally pulled her head back, stared my directly in the eyes and then froze in place. I could almost picture the gears in her head slowly turning as her face became more and more flushed, before she finally let go of me and quickly backed away, her hands moving the secure the bento box that had almost fallen off her lap.

"S-sorry, Hikio. I-I don't… know what came o-over me." Miura quickly said, keeping her gaze firmly fixated on the ground, and I did the same. "I-I just… I've been a bit… stressed since yesterday, and I, like..." Miura mumbled on until her words became incomprehensible.

"I-it's okay, that was just a bit s-sudden." I replied, almost not hearing my own voice over the frantic beating of my heart. _You need more self-control, woman! If I was a complete stranger, who knows what would have happened in a situation like that! _Very briefly, my gaze flicked to Miura, but didn't meet her eyes, instead focusing on something _lower _for a split second, before I forced my eyes to look forwards again. _N-no! You're better than that, Hachiman! Agh! Why must you toy with my heart, when it's already in shambles thanks to Yukinoshita!_

The two us sat in the awkward atmosphere for what felt like an eternity, neither of us saying anything, much less even moving. Over time, I managed to calm my heartbeat back down to acceptable levels, and after taking a few deep breaths of the cool winter air, I was able to think clearly again. _Right, so that… happened. Miura probably didn't mean to _jump _on me all of a sudden like that, she was just temporarily overtaken by emotion when I said I'd help her. Yes, that's it. She said she's been stressed since yesterday, and just like when she opened the floodgates __to me yesterday, she couldn't hold all that anxiety within her any longer. And again, I simply happened to be the person here with her. Right, that's a logical conclusion. Nothing special about it. _For the first time in a while, I allowed myself to look in Miura's direction, and saw the girl still staring down at the ground as she held onto her bento, her chopsticks laying in the snow in front of her. Her cheeks still had a slight dusting of red on them, but other than that, she seemed to have calmed down as well.

"_Ahem_. So..." I cleared my throat in attempt to bring the blonde's attention to me, and succeeded, as she turned her gaze to me. "That, um… You don't need to… show your gratitude yet, when I've not actually done anything, and… I'm not sure how much I can help you, but… As I said, I'll do what I can. This is still your problem to solve, however." Miura blinked a couple of times after I finished, then turned her gaze away for a moment.

"Right, yes. Thanks." Miura said, then turned back to me, and I saw the usual fire I was used to in her eyes. "...You won't tell anyone about what just happened." It wasn't a question, or even a statement.

It was an _order_.

"...I won't." I replied, resisting the urge to swallow. _At least the Fire Queen is back to normal… Though, if what has happened in these past two days repeats, she won't be like that for long. _"You were… emotional, I understand that. I wouldn't dare speak of this to anyone." _And I suspect _we _won't be talking about that ever again either… Wait, am I _accepting _the fact that we'll be talking again? I mean… I guess I did agree to help her on this… Curse my instincts as an older brother._

"Good. Now…" Miura reached down to her chopsticks, picking them up and cleaning the snow off them before turning to look at me again. "I believe we were discussing what I'm going to be doing moving forward."

"Were we?" Miura's brow twitched slightly at my question, and I realized I had said the wrong thing. _Ah, the Fire Queen is indeed back – in all her blazing glory. _"R-right, we were." Miura seemed satisfied with my words, and she looked down at her bento, then at her chopsticks, before letting out a small sigh and placing her chopsticks down and the lid back on her bento. "I… think you should talk to your friends, first and foremost, since they'll be able to help you more than I can if you explain the situation." I said and threw the last of my bread into my mouth, crumpling the packaging afterwards.

"In that case, Hina would be the best to talk to first. She's like, smarter than she lets on, and I think she might have even like, known about Hayato before I did." Miura replied and took a sip of her MAX. _There's definitely more to Ebina than meets the eye. I don't think she knows about Hayama's mask, but… She's at least aware of what's going on 'behind the scenes' with her clique – her personal request to me during Tobe's request proves that. _"But… What should I tell her? Everything? And what if that rumour about me starts to spread..?" Miura looked at me again, and I knew that I wasn't getting away from giving her advice.

"Well, for starters… Hayama is more worried about the rumour than you are, as it could bring him plenty of problems, not to even mention that if it damaged _your _imago, the clique would suffer as well. He'll do everything in his power to prevent it from spreading, to preserve the status quo, but more importantly, to preserve his own peaceful life." I explained, turning my gaze upwards.

"Right… By the way, what was your suggestion to resolving his request? You said he changed his mind about wanting your help upon hearing it, right? Could we use your method to clear it away?" Miura looked at me questioningly, and I offered her a glance, but didn't turn to her fully.

"Getting rid of a rumour is difficult, especially one with some actual basis. Since the entire female population hasn't tried to swarm Hayama yet, we know the rumour hasn't spread that far yet – though I get the feeling that will change soon." _If and when Isshiki comes to the clubroom to ask about it, then we're out of time. _"The only good way to get rid of a rumour that has yet to spread is to fabricate another rumour in its place, then spread that one." I turned to look at Miura again, meeting her gaze with my own. "With such little time on our hands, the rumour would have to able to spread like wildfire. In other words, it would have to be something _interesting _enough. A nasty rumour about someone would do the trick quite well." Miura's eyes widened slightly as my words sunk in, and her gaze dropped down again.

"I see… And Hayato didn't want that." I nodded, despite knowing Miura wasn't looking at me.

"I suggested that he could take the fall for you by letting us make up a rumour about him instead, but he refused the idea. I guess altruism isn't something someone as selfish and arrogant as Hayama needs to think about." Miura's grip on her can tightened a little at my words, but she didn't say anything back to me. "In any case, we should probably start heading back to class soon." I said and glanced at my watch as I stood up, with Miura following me with her gaze.

"Oh, yeah… You better be here tomorrow as well, Hikio." I looked at Miura for a few moments, then let out a sigh.

"You'd drag me out here forcefully if I wasn't, I feel." I heard a slight giggle from the girl as I knelt down to pick up my can of MAX. "Well, as long as you can keep Hayama off your trail, I don't really care. Still not sure how much help I can give you, but it can't be helped." I glanced at Miura, catching her eyeing me curiously for a few moments, before a small smile appeared on her face.

"...You really are kind, Hikio." Miura's words were almost inaudible, and I didn't react to her. _If that's what she wants to believe… _"As I said, you're already helping me plenty. And I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"...Sure, whatever. I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then." With that as my farewell, I began to make my way back inside.

"Yeah, see you, Hikio." Not bothering to look back, I entered the warm embrace of the school building again and walked down the silent hallway back towards the classroom. With only my own footsteps echoing in my ears, a single sentence lingered in the forefront of my mind.

"_I don't want to be alone."_

Why did I accept Miura's request? Certainly, apart from our encounter yesterday, we haven't really been in contact. She asked for my help because she had no other choice, though she seems to believe that I'm the best person to help her. So why did I accept? Was it because of those words, because of her _fear_? Miura showed me a fragile side of herself that she likely hasn't shown to anyone else, and that fragility _touched _me somehow. Miura is _the _Fire Queen of Soubu High, but she is also just a normal girl. She needs someone to be there for her, someone to lean against in times of trouble. Do these events indicate that _I _am going to be that person?

The thought certainly doesn't appease me.

Although, now that I think about it… There is a _certain someone _that reminds me of. Someone else on an elevated position like Miura, who needs a supporting pillar.

"_Save me some day", Huh…_

_Does Miura also need saving?_

_Do I even care enough to save her? There are plenty of others who would fit the role better than I do. Then again, does Miura _know _anyone else who could take that position? Hayama is out of the picture, she knows that now. Still, I don't think I'm the right person for something like that._

_And yet…_

_What is this feeling?_

_Why do I feel like I want to help Miura? Is it simply because she reminded me of Komachi? Or is it because of something else?_

Before I had realized it, I had stopped walking, my gaze fixated on the can of MAX in my hands. _Maybe I just am a stupidly altruistic person… Heh, wouldn't that be funny. Me, a cynical loner who doesn't care what the rest of the world thinks of him, and yet willing to put the happiness of others above my own. _I shook the can a little, confirming that it still held coffee within it, then brought it up to my lips and drank the entirety of it in one go. _Well, I did already tell her I was going to help, and I don't feel like inciting the wrath of the Fire Queen, so I might as well see what I can do. Aahh, what a pain. At least if she gets Ebina on her side, my job will be done. I shouldn't think too deeply of this, I'll figure it out eventually._

Satisfied with my conclusion, I sought out the nearest trash can to throw my empty can of MAX into, then made my way back to the classroom.

* * *

_Thu-thump_

_Thu-thump_

I felt my heart beating in my chest at a quick rhythm as I stared down at my hands, gently caressing my left palm. _Why did I suddenly… do _that_? _Recalling the warmth I had felt not too long ago, I felt my heartbeat speeding up again, and shook my head to clear away the thoughts. _I-it's like he said, I'm emotional. I'm stressed and afraid, and I don't know what to do. But still, why did I…_

"_I'll do what I can."_

"_I can't stand looking at __you like that."_

"_I'm going to help you."_

His words echoing in my mind spread a warmth throughout me. _He never actually said that last one, but… I know he was about to, before I… _I stopped myself before I recalled the embarrassment of the moment again and turned to look over my shoulder. _Hikio… How can someone like you be so kind? To someone like _me_? _I brought my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beating very clearly.

_Why are you being so kind to me?_

* * *

**AN: And there's the third chapter done! This took a bit longer than I wanted to, but I got distracted by another project of mine (Not a writing project, but something else related to another hobby of mine) while working on this, plus exam week started, so I've been busier. Next semester is looking quite lax, so Chapter 4 should be out sooner than this one was – I won't make any promises, though.**

**Miura's character is never explored much in canon, and the countless different fanfictions featuring her all tackle this problem in different ways. I don't know exactly which direction I'm going to be taking her character (Well, _technically_ I do, I just don't know what kind of background I should give her) in this story, but like most of my writings, that will be something that builds and evolves as I write. Hopefully I'll be able to keep it consistent, lol.**

**Now, until the next chapter, I bid you all farewell, and cheerio!**


	5. Chapter 4 - The Opening Moves

**AN: Welcome back, everyone! It's been a little while since the last chapter, which is partly due to my own laziness, but also due to getting ill and spending an entire weekend (and a couple days after that) in bed. That was now a pleasant experience, let me tell you that, and it delayed my writing schedule (if you can even call my haphazard system that) quite a bit. But, the most important thing is that I am now back.**

**On another note, as of writing this AN, _Checkmate _has surpassed 20k viewers! What took my (previously) most popular story over a year, _Checkmate _has managed to do in a measly three months. Yet again, I thank you all for the support, and I hope you'll stay for the ride.**

**Now, it's high time we get this chapter underway!**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – The Opening Moves**

"So, I thought about this yesterday at home, Hikio… And I think I figured out what I'm going to do to compensate you for your help."

"...Didn't I come here so you could come up with something to do regarding the situation with your clique? Why not spend your time thinking about that?"

"Hmph, I did think of that! Just, like… I couldn't come up with anything good, so I wanted your input first. And your compensation is important as well! Or are you saying it isn't?"

Miura pouted at me as she stuck a bit of food into her mouth, her olive-green eyes glaring at me, and I let out a sigh. _It depends entirely on _what _the compensation is… _I lifted up my can of MAX and took a swig as I looked away from Miura, gazing towards the empty tennis courts in the distance. _This whole deal with Miura is a big mess, and with the rumour about her going around as well, it's only going to get messier… Maybe accepting her request and getting involved was a bad idea after all… _I suppressed another sigh and bit into my bread as a cool breeze flew past, signifying that while the days were getting longer again, winter was not yet releasing us from its grasp.

"...Alright, go on, then. What's my compensation for helping you?" I asked after a few moments of silence had passed between us, glancing at the blonde on my right.

"Well, I was thinking that we could like, go eat at a restaurant some day, or something." Miura replied, beginning to twirl a strand of her hair around her finger. "Of course, I'd pay, since it is like, your compensation for helping me." Hearing Miura's proposal, I perked up and turned to face her fully, the concept of free food already making my mouth water.

"Food is best when it's free, so I won't say no to that." I said, and Miura met my gaze with hers. "As long as you keep to that promise, I'll stick around for a while and try to help you." _Miura did say that the minimum I needed to do was talk with her, so that's an easy way to net me some free food. Maybe, if my househusbandry doesn't kick off, I could become a psychiatrist. Nowadays, you can even have meetings with patients online, so I wouldn't even have to meet with people in real life. In fact, I could work from home, so I could be a househusband at the same time. How's that for not planning my future properly, Yukinoshita?_

"Thanks, Hikio. You helping me with this means so much." Miura said with a smile. I still didn't quite understand why she thought so highly of me, but I didn't pay much attention to it any longer. Once she got Ebina and Yuigahama to help her, my work would be done, after all. "So, how about tomorrow, then? You don't have anything going on, right?"

"What makes you an expert on what my weekly schedule is?" I asked in turn, letting a bit of irritation leak into my voice. _You already steal away my lunch breaks, is that not enough? Though I guess it _is _free food she is offering…_

"So, _do _you have something tomorrow, then?" Miura raised an eyebrow in question, her face telling me she already knew what the correct answer was.

"...I don't." I averted my gaze from Miura, seeing a small smirk appear on her face in the corner of my eye. _Damn this woman. _"Though I do have club after school, as usual. I doubt Yukinoshita would let me skip out, however." _And I don't particularly fancy telling the girls I'd be spending that time eating with Miura. I don't think either of them would make any wrong assumptions, but it would mean having to tell them about her request._

"That's fine, I can wait. So, shall we like, meet up after you finish with your club?" Miura asked as she lifted her own can of MAX to her lips.

"I don't mind, but could we do it… somewhere not close to the school?" Miura lifted an eyebrow again as she looked back at me with a confused expression. "I mean… There's already a rumour about you brewing here, about to spread at any moment, so we wouldn't want to cause another one to damage your image even further." Miura's green eyes widened for a moment, before she looked away from me, slowly lowering the can in her hands back down.

"...Yes, that… would be troublesome." Miura said quietly and bit her lip, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times as if she was about to say something. "I… Never mind. I can… text you the address of the place we go to tomorrow, so then you'd just have to go there after your club finishes?" The blonde then asked and turned her gaze back to me. _Sounds fine, but… there is a slight problem with that._

"Good idea, but you don't even know my number or e-mail address." I replied, while Miura looked back at me blankly.

"Well, just give me your phone, then." I blinked once as I stared back at Miura in silence while she held out her hand with an expectant look on her face. _What's with that sudden blunt request? We barely know each other, woman. _"I'll add my contact info into it. What, don't tell me this is the first time a girl has given you their phone number?" Miura's expression turned unamused, her eyes looking at me with both pity and disappointment. _Please don't give me that look, it'll make me feel really bad about myself._

"No, it isn't. I just didn't expect you to ask so suddenly." I replied and fished my mobile phone out of my pocket, unlocking it and handing it to Miura. "Here. I guess it won't hurt, if I'm going to be helping you with this." _Maybe then we won't have to meet as often face-to-face, so my lunch breaks will be free again. But, then she might pester me in my free time… Ugh, this request is going to be a pain. _

"You're really just giving it to me like that?" Miura asked as she took the phone from my hands while reaching into her own pocket, presumably for her own phone. "You're not worried about me going through your stuff?"

"Why should I be? I've got nothing to hide in there. It's just a phone." I replied and sipped on my MAX again. _I only use it to text Komachi or our parents, maybe occasionally for a mobile game. I don't even have to charge it that often, given how little I use it. Besides, the internet is a wonderful place full of all sorts of _interesting _things – no need to save or download anything when it's all in the cloud._

"Huh. So, you don't mind if I go through your picture folder?" I saw Miura tapping on the album icon, and nearly choked on my coffee.

"Oi! That's invasion of privacy!" I protested angrily after managing to swallow the liquid stuck in my throat and tried to nab my phone back from Miura, but she was quicker and moved her hand out of my reach.

"But you just like, said it was okay, right? Or maybe you _do _have something to hide after all?" A grin spread across Miura's face as she swiftly began to navigate through the album with one hand – still keeping the device out of my reach.

"I _don't _have anything to hide, but that doesn't give you the right to go through my personal belongings – or in this case, photos!" I placed my can of MAX on the ground as I tried to reach for my phone again, careful to avoid accidentally – and possibly _inappropriately –_ touching Miura in the process, but her outstretched hand was too far away.

"Reaaaaaaally?" Miura grabbed my wrist with her free hand, then scanned through the picture album on my phone with her eyes, her expression turning to disappointment soon enough. "Well, this is boring. It's just a bunch of cat pictures. Where's all the saucy stuff, Hikio?"

"There _is _no saucy stuff, Miura. Now, are you going to violate my privacy more or will you actually do what you were supposed to?" I glared at Miura as she turned her olive-green eyes back to me, and after a few moments, she sighed and let go of my wrist, lowering her other arm in the process.

"Fine, fine, whatever." Miura said as she navigated from the album to my contact list. "Oh, wow… I don't think I've ever seen a contact list this short..." Miura said as she scanned through the admittedly short list of contacts, her eyes locking onto one name in particular. "Yui..? What's with that weird name you've got her saved under?" I didn't even have to look at my phone screen to know what Miura was referring to, and instead let out a sigh.

"She added herself to my contacts like that, don't blame me for it." _All the normie emoticons nearly make my stomach turn every time I see it, but I haven't bothered to change it… Also… I guess there's a – very small – sentimental part of me that doesn't _want _to change it. __Gah, just thinking about it makes me want to end it all. When did I go so soft?_

"Yeah, that sounds like Yui, alright. I don't see Yukinoshita here, though..." The latter part of the sentence Miura muttered quietly, and I didn't see any reason to react to it. _We haven't exchanged contact information. There's really been no need for it – Yuigahama would act as the messenger if she's needed to relay something to me, though the amount of times that has happened I can count on one hand. _"...And there we go." Miura said, beginning to tap away on her own phone now as well. _The speed of her fingers is astounding… I guess being a normie does that to you… _"Right, here." Miura handed my phone back to me, and I looked down at the contacts list, where a new contact was now saved under the name '_Yumi~_'. _I… expected something a bit '_more_', but I guess Miura is a __tad__ more reserved than Yuigahama is. _"What was with all those cat pictures, though? Do you like cats, Hikio?"

"That was Kamamura, our cat." I replied, navigating back to the picture album and scrolling through it. "Or, I guess I should rather call him '_lord of the house_', since that's what he seems to think of himself as." I turned the screen towards Miura, showing her a picture with Kamakura sleeping on the couch peacefully. "Most of these are taken by my little sister, Komachi, though, either with her own phone and then sent to me, or just straight up with my phone whenever she sneaks into my room and steals it from me when I'm not looking. Kamakura wouldn't let me take pictures of him even if I tried – and believe me, I have." I locked my phone again and placed it back into my pocket, glancing at Miura and seeing a slightly forlorn look on her face.

"Must be nice to have a cat… Or any pet for that matter. You and Yui are both lucky in that regard. My parents would _never_ allow me to have a pet." _Strict parents, huh? Or maybe one of them has an allergy… Well, it's not like I really care._

"Owning a pet is not something to be taken lightly. They are living beings, after all, and require appropriate care. But, once they are given that, they become better companions than any human ever could. Well, with the exception of Kamakura – he's too much of a snob for that." In the corner of my eye I saw a smile play across Miura's lips as she looked at me, rather intently. "In any case, now that we've got that out of the way..." I continued and looked at my watch. _There's not much of lunch break left… __Well, let's make best use of the time, then. _"...You said you wanted my input on your thoughts, right?" I turned to the blonde on my right again, and she nodded to me in reply.

"Yes, I… Well… To be honest… I didn't really like, come up with anything… I still think Hina will be someone I should talk to about this, but how do I convince her to help me? If this all goes wrong… It could mean the end of our clique." Miura looked down at the remains of her bento, her hold on her chopsticks tightening. _It's going to face its end regardless if it works or not – if it works, the clique will stay, but it won't be the same, __though that will be __mainly in a good way, __I suppose__. __Perhaps not so much for Hayama, but that remains to be seen._

"Ebina… knows more than she lets on, let's say that. She's been absent this week, but if she were here, she'd be the first one to realize something happened between you and Hayama. In a way, it's a good thing she's ill, as it gives you some breathing room and time to think." Miura turned her gaze back to me as I started my explanation. "It would be best to talk to her at the earliest convenience, to explain things to her yourself – from _your perspective –_ before she puts two and two together herself. That will give you the best chances to easily convince her to go along with your scheme. At least, that's what I feel." Miura's face scrunched up in thought for a few moments, her green eyes scanning my face for… _something_.

"How… much do you know about Hina? Is there like, something she's told you?" Miura questioned from me.

"Sorry, client confidentiality." The blonde's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything else. _It's been a while since that request, but… Ebina seemed like she's __almost as secretive as Hayama, so without knowing how much she's told to her friends, I can't go around telling others what she told me. _"Anyway, you could go and see her today. Since she's sick at home, you'd have the chance to talk with her privately."

"That's true… Though, I'm still like, not quite sure what exactly I should tell her. Oh, and Yui said she was going to visit Hina today, so that ruins any chances for a private conversation." Miura picked up her can of MAX again, but stopped to simply stare at it instead of drinking.

"Even better. You need to talk with them both anyway, so this will be your chance for it." Miura shook her head, then turned her gaze to me as she bit her lip.

"But if Hina doesn't want to help me, that could cause a rift between her and Yui, who I know will likely help me regardless if she understands the situation or not. I'm trying to _fix _our clique, not break it further." _Right, I hadn't considered that… Yes, I suppose Ebina might want to keep the status quo __intact__ – perhaps she has plans of her own after high school – and would thus decline Miura's request __for everyone to be more genuine. That would certainly affect her current relationship with Yuigahama and Miura._

_What can be done, then?_

Miura's situation is tricky, to say the least. While Yuigahama would be the easiest to convince, she _is _an airhead, and might not realize the full gravity of what's' going on. Then again, she can read people relatively well, and she has some "_social intelligence_", for a lack of a better term, so she might do the opposite and understand everything right from the get-go. Still, both Miura and I agree that Ebina would be the best starting point. She's extremely perceptive when it comes to their clique, capable of reading the mood even better than Yuigahama, and it's highly possible she knows of Hayama's "mask" as well. She also cares for her friends, and knows how fragile the clique can be at times. These are all good reasons as to why Miura should reach out to her first, as getting Ebina on her side will be half of the fight done if she wants everyone to be more open and become _true _friends.

However…

"_Maybe if it was you, Hikitani, we might be able to go out just fine."_

Ebina is afraid of opening up to others. Or, perhaps "afraid" isn't the right term, rather, she believes she simply _can't _open up to others – except _me_, according to her own words after I solved her request back in Kyoto. I know she's a _fujoshi_, but maybe there's something else as well? Something else beneath that surface of hers that she doesn't want to show to other people… She did say she was "_rotten_", but back then, I thought she was simply referring to her love of BL… If there is something she's keeping hidden from the others, a skeleton in her closet, she might not want to go along with Miura's plan. But, on the other hand, if Miura can convince Ebina to open up to her friends, that could become the ace up her sleeve into having the others do the same, to become _real _friends, unafraid of petty arguments or secrets. Ebina does care for her clique deeply, that much I can tell, so if Miura can convince her that her plan can succeed… She would likely go along with it.

Of course, this is all but speculation, and there are a million other outcomes for what could happen when Miura tells Ebina about her plans, but I believe these to be the most likely ones.

"...Well, you definitely need to talk to Ebina first, that much is certain." I spoke out to break the silence that had formed between us, turning to look towards Miura. "And you will need to do it soon."

"What should I say to her, though? Just tell her Hayato rejected me and now I want to make everyone be more open with each other?" Miura's green eyes were pleading me, and I had to avert my gaze from them quickly enough, the meek look on the fearsome Fire Queen's face being unexpectedly cute. _Is this what they call 'gap moe'? I've witnessed glimpses of it with Yukinoshita before, but now seeing it from Miura too just confirms how terrifyingly potent it is as a technique…_

"If you're not comfortable telling her about the rejection, you don't need to, but wanting to be more open and yet still keeping secrets would be a little contradictory. For starters, you should tell her what you've realized about the true nature of both Hayama and your clique. Ebina should understand the latter, possibly the former as well – explain if she doesn't, and..." I paused for a moment to think, recalling the few conversations I've had with the silent _meganekko_. _I don't think we're _that _close – in fact, I'd say we aren't close at all, passing acquaintances at best – but she should know that my skills of perception are unparalleled. _"...You can tell her _I _know of Hayama's mask and his true self, that should at least – hopefully – let her know it's true, if she isn't aware of it herself already. Once you've made sure she understands the situation, tell her that you want to break the status quo and change things, before the bonds you've made crumble away at graduation. That because you genuinely care for the people you've become '_friends_' with, you don't want to lose them, and want everyone to be able to be open and genuine with each other, without fear of breaking the dynamic." I paused again, feeling Miura's gaze boring into me as she listened intently, almost as if in a trance. "You'll need to convince her that it's possible to fight the stagnant status quo and emerge triumphant, that it's possible for things to change. Then, it will be all up to her, though I get the feeling Ebina will likely help you, if she thinks you can succeed." Seeing that I had now finished, Miura shifted her gaze frontwards again, seemingly in thought for a few moments, before she let out a sigh.

"...It all sounds so simple when you say it, Hikio." Still not looking back towards me, a small smile – very much akin to the self-deprecating ones I often made – appeared on Miura's face. "And I couldn't even come up with that much on my own… I'm so _useless_..." The blonde I knew for her fierceness now looked so fragile that a passing breeze could break her, and I felt it tugging at something within me, an uneasy feeling appearing in the pit of my stomach. But, knowing that empty words would do little to help, I stayed silent, instead simply watching the girl that a small part of me was telling to give comfort to. "Haah… what am I saying..? Sorry, Hikio. I know it's not like me to be this pessimistic, this whole thing has just stressed me out." Miura lifted her gaze to look back at me and allowed another small smile to appear on her face, though this time less self-deprecating than before. "Thanks, Hikio, for helping me with this."

"You can thank me with that promise of free food you gave me." I replied and picked up my can of MAX, shaking it a little to confirm the amount of coffee still within it. "So, what are you going to do? I've given you my advice." I lifted up the can and began to drink down the last of its contents, noting that the lunch break was about to end. _She never told me what she said to her clique to not make them suspicious that she's not eating with them again… Well, it's not like most of them would really care, but Hayama will definitely be intrigued._

"I'll… I'll do like you said. I'll talk to Hina and tell her about everything. But not today. I'll visit her tomorrow, so we can like, talk with just the two of us. Yui… I'll tell her after I've gotten Hina on my side." I saw Miura biting her lip, the look on her face screaming uneasiness, but she quickly shook her head and took a deep breath, causing that look be replaced with one of determination. "She'll help me with this. Hina wouldn't abandon me. I know it." Miura met my gaze with her own as I lowered the now empty can from my lips, the fire I was used to seeing now having returned to her olive-green eyes.

"Well, it's good to hear you now know what to do, I guess. Just don't get overconfident. Despite what many would say, a little bit of realistic pessimism never hurts." The blonde looked away from me for a moment, but she didn't say anything and her expression remained the same, so I continued. "Ebina isn't your only problem right now, though. Has Hayama spoken to you about the rumour he requested our help with?" _He said that he would speak with her about it as soon as possible, but… Based on what Miura and I talked about yesterday, he ha__dn__'t done so yet._

"Oh, yeah, he pulled me aside for a few moments earlier today to tell me about it – although I like, already knew, thanks to you. He said he wanted to talk to me more during lunch, but… I excused myself so I could come here." Miura explained, a small – perhaps _guilty –_ smile appearing on her face. _So the Fire Queen now holds speaking with me more important than alone time with Hayama? I am flattered. Truly._

"Did he tell you if he's done anything to suppress the rumour? It doesn't seem to have reached the ears of the majority yet, though I feel that is just a matter of time." Miura thought for a brief moment, then shook her head slightly.

"We didn't discuss much – that was likely the reason he wanted to talk with me during lunch. He did tell me that he's been saying that the rumour is false to anyone who's asked him about it, encouraging them to do the same if they hear someone else spreading it." _Getting his underlings to do his dirty work for him, huh? I guess it is a sound strategy for keeping __the rumour in control without bringing attention to it. Though I can't help but notice the similarities between our plans… What he's doing is not much different from my plan of fabricating another rumour and spreading that – in fact, that is _exactly _what he's doing. His rumour is just the direct opposite of the current rumour: nothing out of the ordinary happened between Hayama and Miura on Monday. _"What… do you suggest we do about the rumour, then? Your plan was to make up another rumour and then spread that, right?"

"That's right. It is the most efficient way of ensuring the rumour about you doesn't take off – if the rumour replacing it is scandalous enough. Then again, how much do you _trust _Hayama with this? I do recall saying that the rumour doesn't just threaten you and your place in the social hierarchy, but his peaceful life as well. Hayama will do everything in his power to prevent it from spreading, to save his own hide." Miura's gaze dropped downwards as she thought about my words, her hand balling up to a fist.

"I… would _want _to say that I trust him, but… I'm not so sure any more. What should we do if he doesn't take care of the rumour?" I was about to comment on her usage of the word '_we_' in this context, but stopped myself as I remembered the free food I had been promised. _I shouldn't provoke the wrath of the Fire Queen like that. I do not want to be on the receiving end of that __Hell Flame._

"If – or more accurately, _when_ – the rumour really picks up, there's not much that be done any more. All you – and Hayama – can do at that point is to try to douse the flames by confronting the rumour head-on, like he did back when people believed him and Yukinoshita were going out. Preventing the rumour from getting to that point in the first place, though..." I paused for a brief moment, thinking the situation through in my head one more time. "...Hayama seems to be doing okay so far on that front. I suspect whoever first saw you on Monday and started the rumour must have been a guy, who then told about it to his friends, and then it reached Hayama's ears. Since Hayama hasn't been swarmed by lovestruck maidens, we can assume that the rumour hasn't spread to the gossip mill that is the female population of Soubu High quite yet."

"Hey! That's..." Miura retorted at first, but stopped herself, then looked away from me as a small tinge of red appeared on her cheeks, beginning to awkwardly twirl a strand of her hair with her left hand. _Looks like even she can't argue against that. _"...Continue."

"Right. Anyway, from that, we can come to the conclusion that the rumour is only circulating among the male population, who, alongside not being prone to spreading rumours and gossip in the first place, would gain nothing from spreading a rumour like this. In fact, since most of the guys at Soubu High are jealous of Hayama, they'd want to keep it hidden that he's rejected the only girl keeping all the others from surrounding him. In that regard, unless someone had a… _thing _for you, Miura, they would be glad to hear Hayama's counter-rumour that no such thing occurred." Miura stayed silent even after I finished, and I turned to look towards her to see the blonde gazing down at the ground again, though she was now motionless. "If… you want to do something to help him quench the rumour, I feel the only way to do so is to start another rumour yourself and get it to spread among the girls." Miura stayed silent for a few more moments, then lifted her gaze to look at me.

"And like you told both me and Hayato… that rumour would have to be something nasty for it to be effective with our limited time." I nodded in reply to the blonde, and she averted her gaze from me again.

"The rumour wouldn't have to be true. As long as it could spread quickly enough and then stay alive for long enough, it should be enough to let the rumour about you die. With the weekend coming up soon enough, it should disperse by next week. For it to work, the new rumour would have to take root by tomorrow, I'd say. Of course, there are issues when considering the subject of the rumour, who would either have to be… _willing_, or simply capable of dissolving the rumours on their own, but we don't really have the time to think of such luxuries." I explained, taking a quick look at my watch. _Nor do we have the luxury of spending much more time here. Have the lunch breaks been shorter ever since I – involuntarily, mind you – started spending them with Miura? I'm quite certain that I am _not _having fun, so that definitely isn't the reason why time seems to pass quicker than before..._

"By tomorrow… Could I… talk about it with Hina? She might be able to come up with something." Miura looked towards me again, though my gaze was fixated on the distant tennis courts.

"You can, but it might be tight. It depends on how well Hayama can keep the rumour under control. Who knows, he might manage to get rid of it completely by the time next Monday rolls around, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared in case he doesn't." Miura thought for a moment, then gave me a slight nod.

"Right. Thanks again, Hikio." Miura flashed me a smile, then pulled out her phone, her eyes widening slightly as she did so. "Oh, wow… Lunch break is almost over. I got so engrossed talking with you that I didn't like, pay any attention to the time..." The blonde began to hurriedly pack up her bento with one hand and chugged down the rest of her MAX with the other, while I simply gathered up what little trash I had, continuing to silently gaze into the distance. "You're not gonna go, Hikio? Or are you waiting to go back to the classroom with me?" I spared a quick glance at Miura, who had a cheeky grin on her face.

"Not a chance in hell, woman." Miura scowled a little at my remark, then let out a small sigh. "I think I'll stay here a moment. My serene lunch breaks have been recently invaded by a certain someone, so my alone time here has been severely limited."

"Don't be like that, Hikio." I felt Miura's fist colliding with my shoulder, though there was little to no force put into the punch. _I still don't understand why normies seem to insist on so much physical contact… _"You can't complain about the company, can you?" Miura's fist uncurled and I felt her placing her hand on top of my shoulder, gently squeezing it and causing me to nearly jump. As I turned to face her, I was met with a sly smile, the expression on her face speaking of some attempt at being coy.

"Yes, I _can _in fact complain about the company. I would much rather be without it." We stared at each other for a few seconds, before Miura burst out laughing, pulling her hand back to wipe away a tear that had appeared in the corner of her eye. _It wasn't that funny. It wasn't even _meant _to be funny. Why are you laughing so much?_

"Haah… Your blunt honesty is so funny, Hikio." Miura said with a big smile on her face after she finished with her laughing fit, then stood up with a stretch. "I'd better get back, now. Yui is probably like, already back in class and is wondering where I am. I'll see you later, Hikio. Oh, and I'll call you tonight, okay? Thanks! Bye!" Not giving me any chance to protest, Miura began to make her way back inside, and I let out a sigh after watching her enter the building. _I'm starting to get the feeling she's just doing this to make fun of me for her own amusement…_

Having been left alone, I turned my gaze upwards, towards the gathering clouds, and another cool breeze went past, causing some snow to lightly rain down on me from the roof above. Normally, I would have used the time I got to be alone with my thoughts for monologuing and planning, especially given my current situation with Yukinoshita and Miura's request, but for now, I just wanted to sit there in silence. Closing my eyes, I let my thoughts clear and took in a few deep breaths of the crisp winter air, then stood up from where I was sitting and shook off the snow that had gotten on my clothes. _My life really must be turning for the worse when quiet moments like this are becoming a rarity… Hopefully things go well for Miura with Ebina, that should take some of the load off of me and I can have my quiet lunch breaks back. But, I get the feeling it might not be as simple as that… And I also need to do something about my feelings for Yukinoshita…_

Suppressing a sigh, I took one final deep breath, then began to make my way back to the classroom, mentally preparing for the rest of the day.

* * *

The door to the clubroom suddenly opened, bringing me out of the book I had been engrossed in, and I lifted my gaze towards the door as a single figure entered. Though, I did not look to see who had come in, but rather out of common courtesy, as the lack of a knock beforehand meant the new arrival wasn't someone with a request, leaving only a handful of possible choices for their identity – and I had a fairly educated guess _who _exactly they were even before my eyes landed on the person who had entered. And my guess had been correct.

"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun."

"Yo."

I mentally sighed upon hearing his deadbeat reply, but didn't let it show. _While it does seem he is incapable of learning proper ways to greet people, it has become a trademark of sorts for him, so it wouldn't do good to just forcefully strip it away from him. _Hikigaya closed the sliding door behind him, but stood still for a moment as his eyes scanned the clubroom.

"If you are looking for Yuigahama-san, she will not be in attendance today, as she has fallen ill. I presume you noticed her absence in class, yes?" I asked as I placed down a bookmark and closed the book I had been reading, keeping my gaze locked on Hikigaya as he still stood by the door.

"I know. She sent me a message this morning, saying how she must have caught something from Ebina when she visited her yesterday." Hikigaya replied, then began to walk over to his seat. _Right, of course. Yuigahama-san sent me a similar message as well, so it would make sense she would also inform Hikigaya-kun… It mildly annoys me that she has managed to get his contact information, where as I have not, but that isn't a big deal, and can be fixed any time. Hikigaya-kun just has to muster up the courage to ask for my phone number._ "Funnily enough, Ebina herself was back in school today, having been ill for the start of the week. She and Miura were chatting quite a lot in Yuigahama's absence." Hikigaya continued as he took a seat at the far end of the table.

"Oh? So you admit to having _leered _at the girls during class, then? Perhaps I should inform Hiratsuka-sensei of this _misconduct_ immediately." I said as I stood up from my seat and made my way to the side table, beginning to brew some tea.

"I didn't say anything of the sort. I never _leered _at anyone, just..." Hikigaya paused, and, finding it curious, I turned back to look at him, meeting his gaze for a brief moment before he averted his eyes. "...I overheard it, that's all. It's pretty difficult not to, what with them being the loudest clique in the class." I continued to gaze at Hikigaya for a few more moments as he reached into his bag and pulled out a book, before turning my attention back to the tea. _Well, that is certainly believable, but… There was still something odd about that. __Hmmm… It wouldn't do good to have Hikigaya-kun be _unfaithful_, so perhaps I should use this chance I have been given to my advantage…_

"I do not know how much of your words I can trust, Hiki-petty-criminal-kun, but I will let it slide this time. If such things are brought to my attention a second time, however, I must do my civic duty and report your transgressions to the proper authorities." I glanced back at Hikigaya with a smile, and he rolled his eyes in reply while opening up his book. _He truly is so _cute _when sulking… I'll have to restrain myself, I wouldn't want to scare him away. That's right, I need to ease him into the correct atmosphere, so that he can then reveal his feelings to me. Or perhaps I should be the one to take the initiative..? No, it must he Hikigaya-kun. He needs to realize how much he loves me, and then _confess_ to me. __Ah, just the thought is making me feel all warm inside… No, you need to calm down, Yukino. There is no rush, and I believe Hikigaya-kun wouldn't want to jump straight into it either. _Calming myself down, I turned back around and made my way to my seat after finishing up the tea preparations, then sat down and looked towards Hikigaya. "In any case, without Yuigahama-san here, today will be just like the early days of the club." Hikigaya shifted his gaze from his book over to me, but otherwise kept still. "Just the _two of us_." I allowed a small smile on my face as I kept my eyes locked with his, noticing them widening slightly as my words sunk in.

"Ah… Y-yeah, I guess so." Hikigaya quickly looked away from me, scratching his cheek awkwardly, and I could almost swear I saw the faintest hint of a blush on his face. _Hm? Is he… _embarrassed _at the thought? Hikigaya-kun isn't one to care for such things, though, which would point towards… _I had to forcefully suppress the smile that nearly appeared on my face, and I almost felt like giggling. _Could it really be? Oh my, Hikigaya-kun, you don't need to be so shy! If things really are like that… If they really are going as I've anticipated… There's no need to hold back. Just say the words, and we can be together, just the two of us, _forever_. _"Unless..." Hearing Hikigaya's voice again, I was pulled out of my thoughts, and I mentally calmed myself down again. _I can't get too far ahead of myself. Certainly, it is only a matter of time before Hikigaya-kun realizes that only I can stand by his side, __but I cannot make the assumption that he has already awakened to that realization based on one reaction. _"...We get another request. I mean, then it wouldn't just be… us two. Who knows, maybe Hayama will run back here with his tail between his legs and beg for our help again." Hikigaya faced me again, and any signs of the possible embarrassment I believed I saw were gone – if they even were there in the first place.

"Well, I'd personally hope that isn't the case." _I don't want anyone disturbing this rare chance of getting to be alone with Hikigaya-kun. _"While I don't _hate _Yuigahama-san's company, a quiet moment is nice every so often." I briefly wondered if I should try to push it and say something else, but decided against it. There was no rush, and I should take this time to enjoy myself.

"In that regard, we are in agreement, Yukinoshita. My own quiet moments have had a drastic reduction in their amount recently, so this is a welcome change." Hikigaya said and stretched in his seat, then continued in a lower tone, as if muttering to himself. "...Today was the first time in a while I got to eat my lunch in peace… Damn that woman..." I felt myself tensing up, and questioned whether the murmur I had heard from the other side of the table had been just my imagination. _What did… Hikigaya-kun just say..? Lunch, and a… a _woman_..? __No, I must have misheard. __Right, that must be it. But…_

"What… do you mean by that, Hikigaya-kun?" My voice came out colder than I had expected, but I couldn't help it. The idea that some _wench _could be spending time with Hikigaya-kun behind _my _back, even if it wasn't due to his initiative – no, _especially _if it wasn't due to his initiative – made a feeling that resembled anger well up in me. _Hikigaya-kun belongs with me, and me alone. If there is someone who doesn't understand that, I will have to _make _them understand._

"E-eh?" Hikigaya turned his gaze to me, the expression on his face telling me of his confusion, before he seemed to realize what I was referring to. "O-oh, I… Just Hiratsuka-sensei. She's been… grilling me about various things this week, like my career plans. Though, I don't see what my lunch breaks have to do with you, Yukinoshita." As usual, Hikigaya regained his composure quickly, and I felt myself relaxing at his answer. _If it is just Hiratsuka-sensei, then there's no problem. While I have noticed that she is quite… _physical _when it comes to Hikigaya-kun, her relationship with him is purely that of a teacher and a student. I would hope she learns to refrain from her 'choke holds' after Hikigaya-kun and I get together, though._

"Knowing that no girl would willingly spend time with you, I was worried you might have _blackmailed _a girl into eating lunch with you, that is all. It is relieving to know that it was just Hiratsuka-sensei, since you'd have no chance against her even if you did _try _something." Hikigaya scowled at my words, while I simply smiled at him. _I am thankful for his reputation, __though,__ as it prevents any vultures from swarming him. I almost feel sorry for them, as they are missing out on so much. My Hikigaya-kun is such a wonderful person, but all they see is the surface and look away. __I guess it is good of them to do so, though, as it leaves him _all_ for _me_._

"...Some of the stuff you say can be really harsh, you know?" Hikigaya said with a sigh, and I suddenly felt a jolt of guilt flash through me, something about the tiredness in his voice making me feel bad for him.

"Ah… If… If I've gone too far, I... apologize." I averted my gaze from Hikigaya, but felt his eyes on me again. _I do enjoy our banter, and I know he does too, but… I don't want to actually hurt him. He has received so many bruises from the world already, and my aim is to heal them, not cause any more…_

"I-it's fine, really. It takes more than that to get under my skin." I turned back and locked eyes with Hikigaya, who, surprisingly, kept his gaze on me this time. "I've endured worse in the past, anything coming from your mouth is nothing." A small, self-deprecating smile appeared on his face, and I felt it stabbing at my heart._ The world has hurt him so much, and he needs someone to heal those wounds… Don't worry, Hikigaya-kun. I will heal your wounds. I'm the only one who can. _A swirl of emotions began to churn within me, and I felt the urge to say something to the black-haired boy at the other end of the table.

"I..." I opened my mouth, but didn't know what I wanted to say. _I know I need to take things slow, but there are things I must do in order to help with Hikigaya-kun's realization, as well as things I _need _to say to him, things that are impossible to say with our usual back-and-forth. But… Now with just the two of us here… _I suddenly felt very nervous about being alone together with Hikigaya, but mustered up the courage to speak. "...I want to say that… I know I say a lot of things that could be interpreted as mean, but… I do… _value _what we have, Hikigaya-kun. I couldn't say this if Yuigahama-san was around, but… I appreciate everything you do, even if your methods are often questionable. You are… _important _to me. B-both of you, that is." I had to look away from Hikigaya, my embarrassment getting the better of me. _Who knew saying something like that would be so hard… I can feel my heart pounding in my chest. Hikigaya-kun has to take responsibility for what he has done to me._

"That… I..." After a few moments of silence, I heard Hikigaya's voice again, and turned to face him again, being met with the most adorable sight of a blushing Hikigaya. "...I know. And I… don't hate… being here in the club." Hikigaya rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he tried his best to look away from me, clearly at a loss for words, before letting out a small sigh. "...You're breaking your Ice Queen character too often, Yukinoshita." I smiled, knowing that I had managed to fluster him.

"Would you say that is a bad thing?" Hikigaya looked back at me silently for a few moments, then returned his gaze to his book.

"...No comment." I almost felt like chuckling, but kept my amusement inside, apart from letting the smile stay on my face. _Well, at least I am closer to my ultimate goal now than I was before. Being more open with Hikigaya-kun will lead to him also being more open with me, at least I would hope so, so he can better understand that we are meant for each other. It is only a matter of time until everything is as it should be._

The relationship between myself and Hikigaya was odd, to say the very least. The easiest way to describe it would be to say that we are clubmates, but despite what our frequent squabbles would infer to an outsider, we are closer than that. But to say we are friends would still be incorrect. No, our _bond _is much more unique than that. I do not know what Hikigaya considers me as, and even I have a hard time coming up with a term would sufficiently describe our current relationship, but there is one thing I know for certain.

We are _meant _to be together.

I didn't hold Hikigaya Hachiman in much regard when he first stepped into the clubroom last year, and it took a long time before I held even a modicum of respect for him, but as the days turned to weeks and then to months, we developed our unique relationship. We weren't simply clubmates, but neither of us could call the other our friend. And, eventually, I realized that I loved him. I was, of course, sceptical at first, but soon came to the conclusion that my feelings were the real deal. It was after that when I realized that there was more to it than just a high school girl's crush. I _needed _someone to stand with me and support me, and I know Hikigaya had to be that person. And I also knew he in turn needed _me_.

Hikigaya has suffered at the hands of other people, and society as a whole – in his own words. He doesn't speak of his scars, but I know they exist, and they will not heal with time. He needs someone to heal those scars for him, and that someone is _me_. I have realized all this, but Hikigaya has not – or at least, if he has, he doesn't show it or act upon it. That is why I am trying to make him understand that, to understand that I need him, and he needs me, that we _must_ be together.

However… There are obstacles. There always are.

Hikigaya has, unfortunately, attracted the attention of others, despite trying not to. Other girls have noticed what lies beneath that stoic shell of his, and want to get a piece of it. But I will not let them. For everything that is inside, belongs only to _me_. Luckily, these insects are currently few and far between. Yuigahama is not brave enough to act upon her feelings, so she poses no problem. The only real threat is Isshiki. I do not know what the sly vixen truly thinks of Hikigaya, but she is far too eager to work her charms on him for my liking, even if it is simply due to wanting to manipulate him. If it escalates too far, however…

...I might need to resort to some _drastic _measures to make her aware of her position.

As I was brought out of my thoughts by the low sound of the kettle telling me that it had finished its job, I became suddenly aware of the exact contents of my thoughts, and was slightly disturbed. _Certainly, it makes sense to get rid of any obstructions in the way of mine and Hikigaya-kun's happy life, but… When did I start thinking in such an… _extreme _way? _Realizing that Hikigaya was looking at me with a raised eyebrow, no doubt because I was still sat in place, so I quickly stood up and began to ready the tea, bringing out our cups. _No use thinking like that right now. I just need to have faith in Hikigaya-kun, so I don't need to resort to doing anything regrettable. _After pouring the tea into the cups, I set the kettle down and walked over to Hikigaya, placing his cup on the table in front of him.

"Here you go, Hikigaya-kun." For a moment, I hesitated before letting go of the cup, reminiscing of the feeling of his hand brushing against mine, but pulled back before the incident could repeat itself. _While I would love to feel his touch again, it would likely only make the atmosphere awkward again, and I don't want to break the calm we have now._

"Mm. Thanks." Hikigaya's reply was a little absent-minded as he flipped the page on his paperback with one hand and reached for his cup with the other, his gaze still glued to the page as he brought his tea to his lips and blew on the liquid to cool it. _While Hikigaya-kun's passion for reading is one of his more lovable traits, his chosen form of literature is questionable. _I didn't know exactly Hikigaya was reading, but having briefly seen the cover artwork – featuring an attractive-looking girl – I could surmise it was what he called '_Light Novels_', something, which – according to my own research – was a form of literature that catered to a very specific audience: teenagers and young adults, mostly those who are male. _Fanservice _was plentiful, while the story was lackluster. Of course, I knew not every Light Novel in existence was like that, but the ones I had come across certainly matched that description perfectly. _Still…_

"If you don't mind my inquiry, what are you reading?" I had to admit, the focus he was putting into reading had sparked my interest somewhat, and it gave me a good reason to speak with him.

"Hm?" Hikigaya lifted his gaze, freezing in place once his eyes met mine as I leaned slightly forwards over the table, still holding onto my own cup of tea. "O-oh, it's… Wait, since when were you interested in what I read?" Hikigaya leaned back in his seat and averted his gaze from me, while I circled around to his right, standing next to him.

"Am I not allowed to be curious?" I asked as I scanned over the open pages with my eyes. _This __seem__s like… a battle scene, perhaps?_

"Well… I guess not. Just that… Why all of a sudden like this? I thought you didn't like Light Novels." Hikigaya sipped on his tea, fixating his gaze back down on his book.

"You were so engrossed in reading that I couldn't help but be interested. And, while you are correct in that I prefer _proper _literature, I am always open to new experiences. Unless what you are reading is something utterly revolting, that is." I blew into my own tea cup and took a sip as well, while Hikigaya furrowed his brows a little, then let out a sigh.

"I can't deny that some of the things authors come up with for these novels can be… '_utterly revolting_', as you put it, but you shouldn't just dismiss the entire industry like that. Light Novels offer and experiment with new ideas and new ways of thinking, breaking the societal norms we have about what's okay to write and what is not. Of course, there are plenty of cliched works as well, and entire genres that are questionable or overused, but… Don't judge a book by its cover." Hikigaya explained as he closed the book, keeping a finger in to mark the page he was own, letting me see the cover. _The title seems rather short, compared to the ones I've seen before… And at least this one's cover doesn't _just_ have a female character in a provocative position to help sales._

"If you say so. I assume he is the main character, then?" I asked and pointed at the male character on the cover, holding up what looked like an ornate shield as he stood in a protective stance next to the female character I had briefly seen before, and Hikigaya gave a small nod in reply. "What's the story of this one? I can guess that it must be a fantasy novel of some sort."

"More or less, yeah. To be more specific, this belongs in a popular genre called '_Isekai_'. The genre has works from one end of the spectrum to the other, but the main gist is always that the main character – or characters – have been transported to an alternate world, whether by death and reincarnation or some other means, and then have to survive in a new world with the knowledge they have. Medieval fantasy settings are the most common, but there are futuristic and modern ones as well." I leaned closer as Hikigaya spoke, feeling my heartbeat rising steadily at the close proximity, but I did my best to keep my calm – and my _hands _to myself. "This one in particular has the main character transported from the modern day into a fantasy world against his will, where he has to now play the role of a hero, protecting the kingdom he was summoned to from monsters. However, it doesn't take long after his arrival that he is falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit and gains the resentment of just about everyone." _Judging by that explanation, I can see why Hikigaya-kun would enjoy the story… _I mentally shook my head to clear my thoughts, knowing that the last thing Hikigaya wants is sympathy.

"Right, I see. Sounds interesting, if I do say so myself." I said and took a quick sip of my tea, while Hikigaya placed his own cup on the table. "So this '_Isekai_' is like Eric Flint's _1632_ novel series? Although, that one is more about time travel rather than alternate worlds… _Destiny's Crucible _is similar, though, with the theme of having to make do with the knowledge you have in a world both alien, and yet eerily similar to our own." I looked upwards in thought as I recalled information about the novels I had read with similar plots, while Hikigaya looked back at me with a confused – or perhaps surprised – expression. "Have you not heard of them? Though, I suppose they are both western literature, and not particularly famous outside of their respective genres of alternate history and science fiction. I only stumbled upon them on accident myself, when I was reading the works of some more well-known western writers. So, I'm not surprised you don't know them." Hikigaya averted his gaze from me, and looked like he was about to reply, when something in his pocket suddenly vibrated, interrupting him before he could even begin.

"What do you want now, Komachi..." Hikigaya said with a sigh and pulled out his phone to check the contents of the message. _Knowing the message is from his sister is either amazing intuition, or – most likely – simply due to that being the _only _possibility. I cannot imagine Hikigaya-kun having the phone numbers of many people outside of his family, besides Yuigahama-san. _Not wishing to intrude upon his privacy – though a part of me was curious – I stood up straight again and turned my gaze to look outside the window. It wasn't snowing, but the wind was blowing flurries of snow off the roof of the building, which then danced past the window before falling to the ground. _It is still cold now, but spring will be upon us soon, and with it, our third and final year… Mother would have probably wanted for me to spend my third year studying abroad, and the me from a year ago __might have agreed to doing that, but now… _I shifted my gaze back to the black-haired boy sitting next to me and smiled. _...I have something keeping me here. Well, technically, he isn't keeping me here _yet_, but that will soon change. _After a few moments had passed, I noticed that Hikigaya was frozen in place with a blank expression, his gaze glued to his phone's screen.

"Hm? Is something the matter, Hikigaya-kun?" My voice seemed to snap Hikigaya back to reality, as he quickly turned to look at me, then back at his phone, before he locked it and hastily placed it back into his pocket.

"Nothing, Komachi's text just surprised me, that's all." Hikigaya brushed off my question, and I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. Before I could voice that suspicion, a second interruption suddenly appeared in the form of the clubroom door sliding open without warning, nearly slamming against the frame and causing both of us to jump.

"Yahhallo! Senpai, are you here? Have you-" Both Hikigaya and I turned towards the door, and I felt my mood instantly turning sour as I found myself looking at the honey-coloured eyes of none other than Isshiki Iroha, Student Council President and number two thorn in my side – after my dear sister, of course. Surprisingly, she seemed to have frozen in place immediately upon entering, and blinked a couple of times before continuing. "W-wait, did I interrupt something?" _Yes, yes you did. Now go, leave and never set foot here again. _I had to resist the urge to grab onto Hikigaya and shout those words at Isshiki, but swallowed down my growing irritation and straightened up, placing my tea cup on the table. "I-I can come back later… B-but wow, I-I had no idea you two had that kind of relationship… Ahahaa..."

"Don't misunderstand, Isshiki-san. Please, come in." I politely said to the younger girl, glancing at Hikigaya afterwards. _I would have thought Hikigaya-kun would get ahead of me in setting Isshiki-san's misunderstanding straight, but…_

"A-ah, alright. Phew, I was _scared _for a moment there, Senpai." Isshiki said as she closed the clubroom door and strode towards the two of us. _And why is that, Isshiki-san? I hope you learn to know your place. _"But, I should have known someone like _you _would have no chances with someone as amazing as Yukino-senpai!" Isshiki said with a bright smile as she placed her hands on the table and leaned forwards, and I felt my hand twitching at his words. _Oh, you misunderstand, Isshiki-san. Hikigaya-kun is the _only _man who would have _any _chances with me, for we are meant to be together. That means there is no room for _you _in the equation. _"I bet you she was scolding you for something, right?" Hikigaya seemed to finally get over his stunned state and let out a sigh, leaning his head on his palm.

"What do you want, Isshiki?" He asked in a tired voice, and I felt a small sense of relief within me. _At least Hikigaya-kun shares some of my resentment for Isshiki-san, though he is still far too easily swept up in her schemes and demands. _"As you can see, Yuigahama is not here today, so if its her you want, you'll have to leave empty-handed."

"No no, I'm not looking for her today. She's sick at home, right?" Isshiki waved her hand dismissively, then glanced between the two of us with a raised eyebrow.

"That is correct, Isshiki-san." I replied, crossing my arms as I did. "So, do you have a request?"

"Hmm… Not really, no. I came here to see Senpai." Isshiki shifted her gaze to Hikigaya and smiled at him, then jerked away from the table, taking a step backwards. "Ah! It's not what you think, Senpai! I didn't come here for _you_, I just needed to talk with you, so I apologize for getting your hopes up, but I need to focus on the Student Council right now, so I don't have time for relationships, so sorry again." Isshiki bowed quickly, and while her words caused some of my irritation to well back up, I could easily tell it was all an act. _I cannot grasp her true motives at all… Which makes her that much more dangerous._

"Yeah yeah whatever." Hikigaya said and picked up his tea cup, while Isshiki stood up straight again. "So, what is it that you want from me? And if it's manual labour, you can forget it right now."

"Not today, Senpai. I just wanted to ask you about Miura-senpai." Hikigaya was about to drink from his cup, but stopped abruptly as his eyes widened ever so slightly. _Miura-san? __Does this… have to do with the rumour we were told about? But… Why ask Hikigaya-kun?_

"...Why would I know anything about Miura? You're better off asking from Yuigahama." Hikigaya replied as he slowly set his cup back down on the table, and I tried my best to read his expression, but it betrayed no emotion, nor did it give me any insight into his thoughts. _I suspected back when Hayama-kun requested our help in dealing with the rumour that Hikigaya-kun might know something more about it that we didn't, but… Even if that was the case, how would Isshiki-san know about that?_

"Hm? Well, it's because you've been talking with her, have you not?"

And it was at that moment, when my confusion turned to anger, that I felt something almost _snap _within me.

* * *

**AN: Fiiiiiiinally, I'm done! As I said at the beginning, this chapter was delayed massively by my illness, so I do apologize. The next chapter will definitely not take as long as this one did – I'm estimating right now that it will be out later in March.**

**I had originally intended this chapter to be even longer (with a different kind of cliffhanger to end with), but with 10k words and five weeks since the last update, I figured I should leave that for the next chapter. Oh, and in case it wasn't clear to someone, the first and second halves of this chapter don't happen in the same day. I thought I made it fairly obvious by referencing Yui's visit to Ebina, but it never hurts to clarify things. I like making things slightly confusing or vague on purpose, but when I don't mean for that to happen, it can become a problem.**

**Before I start rambling, I'll leave you off with saying to wash your hands! Don't get ill like me, lol.**

**Until next time, cheerio!**


	6. Chapter 5 - Advancing Pawn

**AN: Hello again, dear readers! So, how is everyone faring in the face of the global pandemic? As it turns out, keeping yourself isolated when you live in the middle of absolutely nowhere and have zero friends is pretty easy. I knew being a loner on par with Hachiman for the past four years would one day turn out to be useful!**

**Anyway, I think it's about time we see about solving that cliffhanger I left at the end of the last chapter. Will our favourite loner manage to clamber back up to safety, or will he fall to his demise? Okay, that sounded cooler in my head. On to the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Advancing Pawn**

This is bad. This is _really _bad.

"Hikigaya-kun… Would you care to elaborate on what Isshiki-san just said?"

The Ice Queen's voice reflected well how she earned the moniker, as even the completely normal and understandable question she asked caused a chill to go through me, and I found myself inadvertently swallowing. Her expression was neutral, but I could feel the tension coming off her. _S-scary… I didn't think she'd react this strongly… __Okay, let's calm down for a second and think about this rationally. There is no way Isshiki should know that I've been talking with Miura. __I know for a fact that no-one has seen us at my lunch spot, and we've been returning to the classroom separately._I looked at the younger girl across the table, who was looking at Yukinoshita, but now shifted her gaze to me. _Then again, __as long as there's even a slim chance for that to be the case… I need to be careful with my words __and keep cool__._

"First of all… Where did you hear that from, Isshiki?" I asked, trying to keep my voice as level as I could. _If it's an unreliable source, like a rumour, I might be able to bullshit my way through this. _I spared a quick glance at Yukinoshita, who had fixated her gaze on me in an almost _accusatory _way. _A part of me isn't fond of lying to her so openly, but… __If all goes well, Miura's request will be over soon, so there's no need for me to tell them about it. If it does come down to that, though… Well, I'll see about that if it happens._

"Oh, Hayama-senpai told me about it." Isshiki replied nonchalantly. _Hayama. Of course. But how did he find out? Has Miura slipped something up? Damn that woman… _"Although… maybe '_told me_' isn't the correct term here… Hmmm..." I lifted an eyebrow at Isshiki's words as the girl looked upwards in thought, placing a finger on her lips as an attempt at being cute. "More like… I overheard him say it yesterday when I was stalk- at soccer practice with him." Isshiki looked back at me with an innocent smile. _Oi. You just said something _very _suspicious. Yukinoshita is always going on about reporting _me _to the authorities, when Isshiki is the real culprit. _"He was sorta like, muttering to himself about some rumour, and then I heard him saying something along the lines of '_Yumiko __must have been talking with Hikigaya_'. I got curious, so I came here now to ask you about it." Isshiki continued, and I let out a sigh.

"So in other words… You heard something that constitutes as nothing more than a rumour – no, that isn't even a rumour yet, simply the ramblings of _one_ person – and made conclusions based on that alone?" I asked in turn and gave Isshiki a glare, while the younger girl lightly tapped herself on the head with her fist while making a '_Teehee!_' sound. _That cutesy act is only making me more irritated right now… Besides, it's only cute when Komachi does it, so you're wasting your time, Isshiki._

"So, what you're saying is that… it isn't true, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita asked warily with narrowed eyes, and I turned to look towards her and nodded.

"Of course it isn't. Me talking with Miura of all people? Can you even imagine that? We can barely tolerate each other's presence in class." Yukinoshita thought for a moment, then seemed to relax as she shook her head. _Well, I guess _I _can imagine it, as she has done so on a daily basis up until today, and – for some bizarre reason – she seems to be enjoying it as well. But, at least my reputation is handy here. _"Hayama is probably worried about the rumour, maybe even struggling without our help, though I don't know where he would get the idea from that I would have anything to do with Miura." I rested my head on my palm, sensing the tension that had previously permeated the clubroom disappearing. _Crisis averted, __though only barely__. I think Yukinoshita would have understood if I explained the situation to her, __but she probably wouldn't have been happy to know I've undertaken another request behind her back. Also, Isshiki is here, and I don't particularly fancy telling her about it. Although… I do now know that Hayama may not have the situation under control __as well as we thought__. And he is also clearly suspicious of Miura… I'll need to tell her to be more careful if she doesn't want him finding about her plans._

"I apologize, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita's voice brought me out my thoughts, and I looked towards her again to see her looking away from me. "I may have been a bit too hasty. I should have known better than to assume someone like Miura-san would associate with you." _Is that… an insult at me or Miura? Knowing that the two of them seem to be at odds every time they meet, I honestly can't tell… _"So, you think this has to do with Hayama-kun's request, do you?" Yukinoshita turned to me again and spoke after a few long moments of silence, and I nodded to her, picking up my teacup to have a quick sip before replying.

"Very likely. I didn't imagine Hayama to be the kind of guy who would talk to himself, but if he's 'muttering to himself' like Isshiki said, the rumour could be causing him stress." Imagining Hayama getting stressed over the fact that he might get swarmed by lovestruck maidens at any point brought a small smile of amusement to my face. _Heh, that normie deserves to go out like that. How's that popularity treating you now, huh?_

"Um… What's this rumour you're talking about, Senpai?" Both Yukinoshita and I turned to the girl on the opposite side of the table as she casually pulled the chair there closer and sat down, looking at me with confusion. _If Isshiki doesn't know, then the situation should be fine, but if Hayama is still worried… Maybe he's having trouble getting rid of it? But, more importantly… _I shifted my gaze from Isshiki to Yukinoshita who met my eyes with her own, and for a moment, I forgot that everything else in the world existed as I stared into her icy blue eyes, before I managed to pull myself back into reality. _That was… dangerous, let's not do it again. Calm down, heart! _A few seconds of silence passed, before Yukinoshita blinked, then looked back towards Isshiki.

"_Ahem_. Well, Hayama-kun came to us with a request on Monday about getting rid of a rumour that had begun circulating on the same day, but we ended up declining it." Yukinoshita explained and leaned down to pick up her own cup that she had put down on the table when Isshiki had arrived. _Good work, Yukinoshita. Isshiki is the last person who needs to know what the rumour is about, __so we don't want to let her know anything more than she should know._

"Oh… What's the rumour about, then? I haven't heard anything about a rumour that would make Hayama-senpai worry..." Isshiki's eyes flicked between Yukinoshita and I. _And there is the question I did not want her to ask._

"Well..." I began and glanced at Yukinoshita briefly, seeing her currently drinking her tea, and thus unable to answer Isshiki's question. "...I don't see us having any inclination to tell you about it, Isshiki." The younger girl pouted in return, then turned to Yukinoshita with a pleading expression. _The puppy-dog eyes will not work on her, Isshiki. If you imitated a cat, however, you might have a better chance._

"Indeed." Yukinoshita said as she lowered her teacup from her lips – which I was _not _looking at intently, mind you! "While we did not take on the request, that does not mean we will simply spread the rumour ourselves without a care – we are better than that, and have no reason to do so. Rumours are a form of _bullying_, and can ruin someone's reputation utterly. Not everyone has the means to stop them, though, nor the mental fortitude to weather their effects." I nodded along to Yukinoshita's words. _Hayama wouldn't care much for rumours, but Miura is not as strong. This has the potential to damage her social standing within the school, and could cause her weak friendships to fracture even further, and I'm not sure she could make it through all that. Though… what Yukinoshita just said felt like she was talking from _experience…

"Aw, but, I could help you guys with it!" Isshiki's voice interrupted my thoughts, which had suddenly become depressive due to my own memories from middle school returning, and concern for what Yukinoshita must have had to go through during her own time there. _It's no use dwelling on the past. There's too much trauma there – __for both of us, I would guess__. _"I wouldn't tell anyone about it! And if I help Senpai with getting rid of the rumour, I can get closer to Hayama-senpai as well!" I saw Yukinoshita narrowing her eyes at Isshiki, but the girl didn't seem to notice or didn't care as she kept her gaze fixated on me, a large smile plastered on her face.

"You will have to ask Hayama-kun himself about helping, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said and closed her eyes, and Isshiki turned to her again. "As I said, the Service Club is not dealing with Hayama-kun's request, so if you really wanted to help, being with us would not be the right way to go about doing so." _Well, I guess technically I am dealing with the __situation__, __given that the rumour does also affect Miura's request, but other than giving her advice about it, I haven't done much. Whether or not Miura decides to do something about the rumour falls to her and Ebina – if she can convince the girl to help her._

"I… guess you're right..." Isshiki seemed a little dejected at Yukinoshita's rejection of her idea. _Serves you right. She would have probably just used me to solve the whole thing and then taken all the credit so she could look good in front of Hayama. __Not today, Isshiki. _"Well, at least I can find a bit of relief in the knowledge that Senpai hasn't actually been talking with Miura-senpai..." Isshiki then continued with a sigh of relief, then suddenly froze up. _Ah, here we go again. _"Ah! Don't take that the wrong way, Senpai! I was only worried for Miura-senpai's sake, so that's why I'm relieved, and not for any other reason! I apologize if I got your hopes up unintentionally." Isshiki rose up from her chair quickly and bowed deeply, her head almost touching the table, while I simply sighed at her theatrics.

"So, is that all? If you want to go help out Hayama, you might as well do it now when you've got the chance." I said to Isshiki as she raised her head again, ignoring her act completely.

"Ah, well… I was expecting you needing to explain yourself, Senpai, so I told the rest of the student council members that I had something important to do, so if I go find Hayama-senpai now and someone sees me… _Teehee_~" _But being here with us is completely fine..? _Before I could sigh, Yukinoshita beat me to it as she circled around me, then placed her teacup on the table next to her chair before pulling her chair towards herself to sit down. _Did she just… pull the chair a little closer..? No, I'm just being delusional. The distance between us is still very much there. __So my feelings are starting to affect my perception as well… That's not good. I take pride in my abilities of perception being exceptional – __not only am I proficient, I also have expertise in the skill –__ so it would be a disaster if I were to lose my edge __now._

"It would probably be best if you didn't so plainly shirk from your duties, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said as she sat down, picking up her teacup again, and I did the same.

"I'm not, though! I've been doing my work diligently recently. It's not my fault we don't have much to do right now." Isshiki protested and leaned on the table. "We've already handled all the aftermath of the christmas event, so we've only really got menial tasks to handle for the time being. Though… We have had a couple of discussions about a possible _Valentine's Day _event." Yukinoshita seemed to suddenly freeze up momentarily, then lowered her cup as she spoke again.

"Valentine's Day? It's still a few weeks away though, right?" Yukinoshita said as she thought, glancing at me briefly. _The 14__th__ of February… __It's closer than you'd think, when you consider how short a single day is, and how weeks pass by rather quickly. _"It's a bit early, unless you're looking to do something big."

"Well, it's good to plan in advance, right?" Isshiki glanced between the two of us with a smile, but didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "I suggested it myself, but we haven't set anything into stone yet. Do you have any ideas for a Valentine's event, Senpai?" Isshiki suddenly turned to me with an inquisitive look, leaning a little closer to me.

"Why are you asking me? If this was your idea, you need to go through with it yourself." I replied sharply. _Besides, I have a fairly good guess about the ulterior motives you undoubtedly have regarding this possible event and a certain blonde. _"If you want ideas, ask Yuigahama when she comes back. Or just keep your ears open in the coming weeks. Normies tend to get super excited about this whole thing, it's stupid." I glanced briefly at my wrist watch after I finished. _Maybe Yukinoshita could let me leave a little earlier today… Not that I want to go meet Miura for the free food she promised that badly, but if I'm not home at the usual time and Komachi comes back, she'll be suspicious of where I've been._

"While I wouldn't go so far as to call it 'stupid' I must agree with Hikigaya-kun here. It is a popular holiday, but I feel like the attention given to it is blown a bit out of proportion." Yukinoshita said and brought her cup up to her lips, taking a long sip of her tea before continuing. "It's only one day, but it feels like advertisers take advantage of it for the entire month. Of course, it is a good tactic, and I do not blame companies for capitalizing on the chance to boost their sales, but the time window could be shorter to actually match the correct date." I crossed my arms and nodded along with Yukinoshita.

"Yukinoshita is quite correct. Valentine's day is nothing more than a corporate scam invented to wring money out of couples while simultaneously spitting in the faces of us loners. Everything becomes so pink with hearts everywhere it makes me sick. The only good thing about the damn thing is that I always get some chocolates-" For a brief moment, both of the girls seemed to tense up, and I felt both of their eyes fixating themselves on me "-from Komachi. Ah, such a thoughtful little sister I have." A sigh left both of the girls' mouths, the one from Yukinoshita sounding like exasperation and the one from Isshiki akin to relief. _What? Why is Yukinoshita suddenly looking at me with eyes full of pity? I-it's not like I want chocolate from anyone else anyway – Komachi is all I need! So please, don't make me feel bad for myself!_

"I shouldn't be surprised, but..." Yukinoshita brought a hand up to massage her temple, then looked towards Isshiki again. "Anyway, do you even have the funding for a Valentine's event? You don't want to repeat what happened during Christmas by going for something you're not capable of doing."

"Oh, don't worry. We haven't made any decisions yet, but we won't go for anything too big, if we end up coming up with something." Isshiki replied, then turned her gaze to me. "But you'll help us with it anyway, right, Senpai?" Yukinoshita also shifted her eyes to me, likely gauging what my response is going to be. _I just avoided having to admit I've taken another request behind her back, so I don't want to say anything wrong here. But, more importantly, since when did you start expecting me to be at your beck and call like that, Isshiki?_

"...If you make a request to the club, then sure." My response seemed to satisfy Yukinoshita as she relaxed and sipped on her tea again. "But, you can't just always run to us with everything. It wouldn't do good for your reputation as the student council president." Isshiki seemed to perk up suddenly at the mentioning of her reputation, but then pouted at me as she leaned closer again.

"Mou, don't say that, Senpai! I'm allowed to lean on others a little, you knooooow? No-one can do everything in the student council all by themselves, so I'm doing a good job as a first-year student!" Isshiki puffed out her chest in pride. _Well, I can think of two people who probably could do that. Hint: both of them have the last name 'Yukinoshita'. Still, manipulating others to such a degree that you can dump your work on them and still have them praise you for it… Scary. Isshiki Iroha is truly scary. Did in inadvertently release a caged beast by having her become the student council president?_

"Well, the Service Club is ready to help out in case you do require it, Isshiki-san, but I'm hoping we won't need to intervene as much as we did during the christmas event." Yukinoshita said, bringing Isshiki's attention to herself. "Our policy is still only to help and guide others into solving their own problems, rather than just doing the work for them."

"Of course, of course, but… I _can _always ask Senpai directly for help, right?" Isshiki turned to me again with a smile on her face and tilted her head slightly. _Still trying to get me to be your pack mule? Knowing __what the girls think of me handling requests on my own behind their backs__, I'm not going to agree so easily to anything you ask, even if you successfully use your almost-like-a-little-sister charms on me. Though, that didn't stop me from accepting Miura's request…_

"As I said, if you make it a request for the club as a whole _we _will help." I noticed Yukinoshita smiling slightly in the corner of my eye. _Am I being hypocritical? I keep telling myself that I simply don't need to tell Yukinoshita or Yuigahama about Miura's request because it isn't that big of a deal, but is that just me justifying my own hypocrisy? No, I wouldn't say so. Yuigahama will be in on her scheme soon enough, and at that point, there's no need to tell Yukinoshita any more – __my workload, while already minimal, will lessen greatly at that point__. I shouldn't trouble myself __by __thinking about this __right now__. _I glanced at my watch again, ignoring the slight pout of Isshiki's face, then addressed Yukinoshita. "Oh, right. Do you mind if I leave a bit earlier today, Yukinoshita? I doubt we'll get any requests today." Yukinoshita looked at me with a raised eyebrow, and I saw Isshiki now gazing at me curiously as well.

"And may I inquire as to what for, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita asked in return.

"I need to run an errand for Komachi." I lied to the girl with a straight face, but it was a necessary lie. _No need to tell them I'll be eating with Miura, for obvious reasons._

"I see. Is this about the message you received earlier, then?" I nodded in reply to her second question. _This one wasn't technically a lie. Me leaving early does have to do with it, but Komachi didn't send the message. _I recalled the information I had received from Miura about the place she said we would eat at today. _It was kinda far away, but I should be able to make it there quick enough on bike. Half an hour should be plenty of time for that and chowing down some free food, so even if Komachi comes home before I do, she shouldn't suspect anything. __She will likely accept me not being home at exactly the same time every day._"Well, I suppose I could allow that just this once. Since Yuigahama-san is absent as well, we could very well end club a little early today." Yukinoshita continued with a small smile, which I found myself returning to her, but then quickly averted my gaze as I felt my cheeks heating up slightly. _As I thought, looking at her for extended periods of time is dangerous, especially is she shows me such an _attractive _expression._

"R-right. So, is leaving half an hour early okay?" I asked after a few moments of silence, glancing at Yukinoshita but not daring to look at her fully, while Isshiki seemed to be silently observing us, her gaze flicking between the raven-haired girl and I.

"That should be fine, yes. I'm sure Hiratsuka-sensei will understand if we end a little early today." Yukinoshita said with another smile, and I nodded to her in reply. _Right, that's that sorted, then. __Now we hope that Miura doesn't take too long with Ebina._

After that, the atmosphere returned to what could be described as "the usual" for the club. Isshiki had only come here to confirm if what she had heard from Hayama had been correct (which, while it had been, Hayama would have no way of knowing that, making the whole thing pure speculation on his part, and thus not a reliable source of information), and since neither Yukinoshita or I were keen on giving her any more information about Hayama's request, she started simply chatting with Yukinoshita, occasionally pulling me into the conversation as well while I continued reading. More often than not, however, I felt Isshiki's eyes on me whenever there was a pause in the conversation, but I pretended not to notice. I figured that the moment I lifted my gaze to meet hers or otherwise paid any attention to her, she would drag me into something I could not back out of easily.

Time passed pleasantly, and soon enough I found myself checking my watch to see that it was now half an hour until club was supposed to end – the designated time that we decided would be when we stopped early today. _Let's get going, then. _I spared a glance at my teacup – which had been refilled once during this time – and drank what little was left in it, then closed my novel, moving my gaze to Yukinoshita.

"Yukinoshita." The girl lifted her gaze from her own book to meet mine, and I gestured to my watch, her gaze landing on my wrist as well.

"Ah, is it time already? I suppose we should start packing up, then." Yukinoshita said as she closed her own book, then started drinking the remnants of her own tea.

"I'll head back to the student council room, then." Isshiki said as she stood up from her seat, leaving the now-empty paper cup she had drank from on the table. "See you, Yukino-senpai! Oh, and I guess see you too, Senpai." Isshiki flashed me one of her trademark smiles, letting her gaze linger on me for a few moments before she began to make her way towards the door. _So now I'm just a secondary thought, not even worthy of saying goodbye to..? Considering how she usually tends to force me to work for her, I'm not sure if that's a positive or a negative change._

"Yes, I… hope you'll join us for tea again, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said in reply as she began to clean up our respective cups. "As long as you don't use it as an excuse to avoid work." Yukinoshita's gaze briefly flicked to me, and I expected her next words to be a quip about how I supposedly avoided any and all work given to me (a statement which I will not deny the factuality of, as to work is to lose), but she didn't say anything more. _Is she being uncharacteristically nice for whatever reason? Or did she simply not think to say such a thing? Has the day when I finally think of something before the Ice Queen does finally come? If it has, I wonder what it says about me when the thing in question was something that could be considered an insult towards myself…_

"Oh, you can count on me, Yukino-senpai! I wouldn't do that, unlike Senpai here." _Ah, there it is. Does the world end if I'm not insulted or made into the butt of a joke a certain number of times per day? Well, it's not like I really care either way. In fact, if that were to happen, it'd only be a positive thing. Though, if the world did end, there'd be no more Yukinoshita… Eugh, how in the hell am I even capable of thinking like that? Love is scary. _"Anyway, bye, Senpais!" Isshiki waved at us, then slid the door of the clubroom open and left. As soon as the door closed behind her, I let out a sigh, then turned to Yukinoshita, who was currently organizing the side table.

"You need any help?" I asked as I placed my novel into my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, and Yukinoshita turned to me with a slightly surprised expression on her face.

"Ah, it's fine, Hikigaya-kun. I can manage." Yukinoshita said with a smile, then glanced at the door briefly before meeting my eyes again. "I… I want to say that… I enjoyed our time here today. I mean, the… quiet moments we had before Isshiki-san arrived. It was… pleasant." Yukinoshita's gaze was fixated on mine at first, but then began to wander, as if trying to find something to focus on, and the meek display caused my heartbeat to rise. _W-when did you become so c-cute..?_

"A-ah, s-sure. I… l-liked it too, I guess." I replied and averted my own gaze, bringing a hand up to rub the back of my neck awkwardly. "It was nice not having Yuigahama be noisy constantly, at the very least." A small giggle escaped Yukinoshita's lips, and I felt my cheeks heating up as the _heavenly _sound resonated in my brain. _At this rate, my heart is going to burst out my chest… The effect she has on me is… dangerous._

"Indeed. Maybe we'll get another chance to talk some more about literature in the future, with just the two of us? I would… certainly hope we do." Yukinoshita turned to me fully and smiled, a slight dusting of red on her cheeks. _Is she..? N-no, I can't get ahead of myself. This is Yukinoshita we are talking about. Certainly, there is the possibility that there is _something _there, but… At this point, it's nothing more than __blind hope._

"Y-yeah, that might… be nice." I replied after a few seconds of silence, then glanced at my watch again. "I should… probably start going now. I'll… see you tomorrow, Yukinoshita."

"See you tomorrow, Hikigaya-kun." With a smile and a small wave from the raven-haired girl, I turned and walked to the door, stopping briefly to look back over my shoulder to see Yukinoshita now packing her own things as well, then stepped outside the classroom, sliding the door closed behind me.

Deep breath.

Long exhale.

I leaned against the wall next to the door and let my heartbeat steady itself after the onslaught it had just weathered. _I didn't have any doubts before, but… I really have fallen for Yukinoshita Yukino. __If we do get another chance to be with just the two of us, I'll need to think up a plan on what to do. _After calming myself down, I glanced at my watch again and then began to make my way down the hallway before Yukinoshita herself exited the clubroom and caught me loitering around just outside it. _Maybe getting some good, free food will help me come up with something. _

Feeling my mouth watering at the thought of the free food that awaited me, I grinned to myself and made my way to the bike racks.

* * *

_Is he coming?_

I stared at my reflection in the window intently, trying to get a stray strand of hair to stay in place, but failing each time as it fell back down. _I did quickly comb my hair before coming here, but… Wait, why am I suddenly caring so much about this? I'm just going to eat with Hikio. Yeah, that's right. It's just Hikio. _I turned away from the window and took out my phone to check the time. _Did I come here a little too early? I don't think Hikio's club ends for some time… I could have easily stopped by home after finishing with Hina. _I let out a small sigh as I contemplated whether or not I should quickly make a detour and come back here, but ultimately decided against it. Turning back to the window I standing next to, I resisted the urge to mess with my hair any longer, instead simply staring into the reflection of my own eyes. _It's fine. It's just Hikio._

A breeze flew past and my reflection shuddered, so I stuck my hands into my pockets for warmth. _I should have probably brought some gloves with me… I think I need to buy new ones as well. Maybe __I could go shopping__ with Hina? _As my thoughts went back to Hina, I felt a smile growing on my face. And for understandable reasons – after all, my meeting with her had gone simply splendidly.

My original plan had been to visit Hina at her house with the excuse of going to see her as she was sick, and then tell her about what had happened with Hayato and my plans regarding out clique. However, as she had recovered from her illness and was back in school, my plans had changed slightly. Like Hikio had instructed, I tried my best to be careful and act natural during the classes so as to not give anything away to the perceptive girl. And judging by Hina's reaction when I asked to speak with her privately after school, I had been successful.

_And what came after couldn't have gone better._

* * *

"_Hina, I want you to understand that… What I'm about to say is a very serious matter. I want you to be completely honest with me, alright?"_

_The expression on the face of the girl in front of me was first one of confusion, but then became serious as she fixated her glasses-framed gaze on me and nodded._

"_So, what is it, Yumiko? You're not usually like this."_

_I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. You've got this, Yumiko. You were able to tell Hikio, so you can tell Hina as well._

"_I confessed to Hayato on Monday." I said in one breath as I opened my eyes, and I saw Hina's eyes widening, all the while I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I steeled myself and forced my tear-ducts to stay shut. "He rejected me. Well, he didn't directly reject me, but that's what his words meant." I paused and gauged Hina's reaction, and after a few moments of silence, she reached out and took my hand into hers, her expression turning into compassion. But whether that compassion was genuine or not… I couldn't tell._

"_Oh, Yumiko… I'm so sorry for you. But… It didn't seem like things were awkward between you two today, so… everything is okay now?" In response to Hina's question, I shook my head._

"_No. Everything is not okay. There's a reason why I confessed now, Hina." The girl raised an eyebrow in question as I paused again, but didn't say anything. "I did it as a… test, you could say. I've been… suspecting Hayato for a long time now. Suspecting that he is hiding things from us. Suspecting that he is hiding… himself from us." Hina's eyes widened for a moment again, and her expression turned serious again. Her hold on my hand tightened ever so slightly. "You know it too, don't you? That the Hayato we know… It isn't him. You've seen what Hikio has seen, you know what he's really like, right?" Hina looked at me square in the eye for a few moments, then let go of my hand as she closed her eyes._

"_So you've finally seen it as well, then?" Hina asked after what felt like an eternity, opening her eyes while crossing her arms over her chest, and I nodded to her. "...Right. Well… To clarify, I don't know what he is really like, but I do know that he's not exactly being… open with us. But… If you know that he's doing it, you must also know why he's doing it. Right, Yumiko?" I bit my lip and looked away from Hina. This was it._

"_He does it to keep the status quo." I replied, still not looking back at her._

"_And I thought you wanted to keep it too, right? What we have now is… nice. So why did you confess to him, knowing that it would-"_

"_Because it's not about what we have right now!" I interrupted Hina, my voice coming out a little louder than I had expected. "...Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. But, like, sure, what we have right now is 'nice' as you put it, but… What about in the future? What about after we graduate? Will everything be like it is now? Will things stay the same?" Now it was Hina's turn to look away as I pressed her for answers._

"_...They won't." Hina admitted quietly, then looked back at me. "We'll all go our separate ways after we graduate, but isn't that for the best? To move on? We all have our own futures and our plans. I'm sure… he does too. That's why he's doing this." Hina's expression was slightly pained, but her words hurt me even more. But… it also meant I had a chance._

"_I don't want that. I don't want us to separate. I want us all to stay together." Hina opened her mouth as if to say something, but I continued before she could. "I know what will happen at this rate. It's as you say, we'll all separate, and maybe some of us will look back on high school with smiles on our faces. But I know we won't be happy that way. I won't be happy that way. How could I look back at these times with a smile, knowing that the 'friendships' I had were all… superficial? If these fake friends were all I had, all I knew, how could I go on and make new friends after I lost you?" This time, I couldn't hold the tears in, and Hina's face became concerned again – though now, I was sure the look was genuine._

"_Yumiko..." Hina stood in front of me awkwardly as I wiped away the tears as they flowed. I could tell that she was feeling conflicted right now, which was a good sign. At least, I figured it was a good sign, since it probably meant my words had sunk in. "...So… What are you going to do, Yumiko?" Hina then asked after I had stifled my crying, and I looked the girl directly in the eyes._

"_I'm going to change things. All this time, I've blindly believed Hayato, but now I can see just how superficial our friendships are. We never fight, and can we honestly say that we truly know each other either?" Hina looked away from and bit her lip. She couldn't refute what I was saying. "Hayato just decided that these people were the ones he wanted to be 'friends' with. That's the only reason we're together. But I'm going to change that. I want everyone to be open with each other, lay our feelings bare, and trust each other, like real friends are supposed to do. I want us to be able to speak truthfully, to be able to fight, and to love, without any of those things threatening to break us apart. Because that's what real friendship is. I've now understood that, after realizing what Hayato had been doing all this time. I want to do this, because I… genuinely care for you all." I could feel my hands shaking, so I balled them up into fists, then took a deep – albeit shaky – breath and placed my hands on Hina's shoulders. "So, Hina. All I'm asking from you… is are you with me?" A long silence followed as we stared into each other's eyes, and any bystander could easily get the wrong image from the scene if they saw us right now._

"_..." Finally, after an almost painful amount of time, Hina closed her eyes and took a deep breath, bringing one of her hands up to rest on top of mine. "...Not everyone in the clique is going to understand or want this change, Yumiko." Hina then spoke, and I could see my hands shaking a little again._

"_I still want to try. I'm sure that in the end, they'll want to be real friends with everyone as well." Hina opened her eyes, her expression staying neutral._

"_He will oppose you, you know? He likes the stagnation out of us the most."_

"_Hayato? I don't care what he thinks any more. I'm not even sure if I can call him 'Hayato' any more, having seen what lies beneath the surface, as well as hearing what Hikio thinks of him. If he doesn't want to open up… Then so be it." Hina stared at me in silence for a few seconds, then closed her eyes again for a few moments, before a small smile appeared on her face._

"_I'm quite rotten on the inside, you know? And I don't just mean being a fujoshi. If you open this Pandora's Box, you might be scared away by the contents." The tone of her voice nearly caused tears to spill again, but I had already cried enough, so I instead pulled Hina close and embraced her._

"_I'm done being scared, Hina. No matter what's inside, I won't be afraid of it, because I genuinely think of you as my friend, even if our bond thus far has been shallow. Please, Hina. I want to change things for the better, you understand, right? I don't want you guys to just be a phase in my life, I want you to stay in it." I couldn't see Hina's expression, but after a few moments passed, I felt her wrapping her own hands around me as well._

"_Alright. Just don't say I didn't warn you, Yumiko." I tried my best not to, but I cried again. However, these were tears of joy._

"_Hina..." I pulled away from the girl, seeing a wide on her face as she looked back at me with her green eyes, their hue not too far from my own eye colour. "Thank you. I'm so glad you're with me on this."_

"_Don't sweat it, Yumiko. I… will admit, I was planning on going my own way after graduation, but if you're willing to give me a chance to open up to you… I might as well grab the opportunity." Hina's smile shifted slightly, and having been around Hikio more during this past week, I could easily tell it was a self-deprecating one._

"_No, I won't just give you a chance. You will open up to me, Hina, and I will accept whatever it is that I find inside. There are no ifs or buts." Hina looked at me wide-eyed for a moment, then let out a giggle._

"_There's the fiery Yumiko I've come accustomed to." Hina said with a warm smile, then her gaze flicked to both her shoulders, where I was still holding onto her. "So, are you going to let go of me any time soon? Unless… Oho, Yumiko~" All of a sudden, Hina's eyes got a dangerous glint to them, a glint I recognized as the one she got every time she was fantasizing about BL. "While I am mainly into yaoi, I won't say no to some good yuri from time to time, so..." Hina licked her lips, and a few seconds passed as the gears in my head locked into place, and I immediately let go of Hina and pulled away, my cheeks no doubt flushed red._

"_I-I didn't mean it t-that way!" Hina started laughing as I covered my chest defensively and took a step back, though the distance was quickly reduced to zero again by the girl in question._

"_I'm joking, of course. Well, not entirely joking… Take it as a glimpse into the Pandora's Box." Hina said with a wink as she leaned closer, showing me a side of her she could easily use to capture any boy's heart with._

_Faced with such a display, all I could do was sigh._

* * *

_...And then she questioned me a whole bunch about Hikio. I get the feeling there might be something going on between them… Could there? I feel like they might get along… I know Hikio has spoken to her, at the very least…_

As I continued thinking about my earlier conversation with Hina, and her possible connection to Hikio, I noticed a somewhat familiar figure coming closer. Not believing my eyes at first, I pulled out my phone and checked the time again. _How is he here already? Club hours haven't ended yet, have they?_

"Yo." Hikio greeted me as he walked his bike over to me, stopping to glance around briefly before finding the nearby bike rack.

"Aren't you like, quite early here?" I asked as Hikio was locking his bike. _Also, what was with the greeting? So lethargic._

"Hm? Oh, we ended club early today, since Yuigahama wasn't there and we figured we wouldn't get any requests." Hikio replied and walked over to me, then gestured to the building next to us. "I assume this is the place?"

"Yeah, it is." I replied and watched as Hikio eyed the restaurant I had chosen for a few moments. "What? Do you like, have a problem with it?" Hikio turned to me again and shrugged.

"No. Just a bit fancier than what I normally eat." Hikio said and pulled up his sleeve to have a look at his watch. "Let's get inside. You don't need to freeze yourself out here any longer, and I'm more than ready for some food right now." Hikio walked past me to the entrance, stopping to look back at me. "You coming?"

"A-ah, yeah." I quickly made my way over to him and we walked inside. _He… noticed I was cold? I mean, of course I wasn't _that _cold, but… Damn it, why are you so kind, Hikio?_

After entering, we found ourselves a table to sit down on and called over a waitress to give us the menus. The restaurant was a fair bit away from the school, and I doubted anyone from there would be eating here at this time of day, but we still chose a table that was a little out of the way and not next to any windows, just on the off-chance that someone did indeed see us here together. Of course, it wasn't like this was a _date _or anything, as I was simply paying compensation to Hikio for his help, and he understood that well, but others may not see it that way. _That waitress looked at us a bit oddly when she gave us the menus… She couldn't think we were on a date, right? _I lifted my gaze from the menu I was scanning through and looked across the table at Hikio, who was still engrossed in his own menu. _I mean, look at us. Would anyone seriously believe someone like me would go on a date with Hikio? Actually… that was kinda mean of me. I now know how good of a person Hikio actually is – he's certainly better than any guy I've ever known up until this point – so I shouldn't think that… And I guess his looks are not half-bad… His eyes are a bit __scar__y, but having gotten to know him, the__re's a gentleness to them__, so if he just kept better care of his hair and slouched less…_

_W__ait, am I seriously checking out Hikio of all people right now?_

Suddenly, Hikio raised his gaze to meet mine and lifted an eyebrow in question, and I quickly looked back at my own menu while trying my best to hide the blush that was creeping up to my cheeks. _You've only just gotten rejected by Hayato, girl, and you're already setting your eyes on someone else? Get yourself together. It's only Hikio. You know, the creepy loner of the classroom who is actually a really nice guy and the only person who has ever genuinely comforted you when you were feeling down without any sort of obligation to you and without expecting anything in return. __The same guy who has somehow managed to catch Yui's interest __and befriended Yukinoshita__ and who is now helping you deal with something that is undoubtedly your own problem. _I quickly glanced at Hikio again from behind the menu, letting my gaze linger for a second or two before I averted my gaze again. _Well… When I put it that way… Damn it! Get. Your. Self. Together. Yumiko! It's just Hikio. He's helping me because I made a request, and he is expecting compensation for his help, like this date right – IT'S NOT A DATE! Gah, what is wrong with my brain right now…_

"...So, uh… How did it go with Ebina?" Hikio suddenly spoke out, and I nearly jumped as I looked towards him again, seeing him placing the menu down on the table. Likely having already figured out what he was going to order,

"Huh?" Hikio looked back at me with a bit of confusion, and it took me a second to realize what he had asked. "O-oh, right, yes, Hina." I placed the menu down as well and began to twirl a strand of hair around my index finger as I took a moment to clear my head. _These are not good thoughts to have right now. You have to remember, Yumiko, this is just you paying proper compensation for his help. That is all. _"_Ahem_. It… went better than I could have ever expected."

"So… she's going to help you, then?" I nodded in reply to Hikio's question.

"Yeah, she will. Like you said, she knew something was going on with Hayato, but she said that she doesn't know what he's _really _like, just that he was like, keeping that information from us. I… told her about what happened between us on Monday, and then about my plans, and she said she was willing to open up to me and help me with it." Hikio nodded as I paused for a moment before continuing. "Oh, but I didn't like, tell her about your involvement yet. Though, she did ask about you, but I didn't say anything apart from admitting that I had talked with you."

"Right. Well, it's good you got her on your side. So, did you come up with anything regarding the rumour?" Hikio then asked, and I looked away with slight embarrassment.

"I… didn't remember, sorry. I got… a bit emotional with Hina, and then I wanted to hurry here, but only afterwards did I remember that you still had club, so… Yeah, I forgot to tell her about the rumour." I glanced back at Hikio sheepishly, but he didn't seem angry at me, not that I really expected him to feel that way.

"Well, you might have to start doing something soon. Isshiki came to the club today and brought to my attention that Hayama might not have the rumour under control as well as he could hope." Hikio replied, and I looked back at him with intrigue. _Isshiki? The first-year student council president? _"Apparently he was muttering to himself about it during soccer practice. Does he… do that often?"

"Mutter to himself?" I asked, and Hikio nodded, so I gave it a moment of thought. _I… don't know. I don't know…. _anything _about Hayato… _"I… I don't know. I don't think he would, and I can't remember ever hearing him talking to himself, but… I just don't know." A small wave of melancholy washed over me, but I shook it off. _I shouldn't get hung up on it. The more I think about it, the more likely it's starting to feel that Hayato won't ever open up to us, even if my plan is a success otherwise._

"Hmm… Well, if he doesn't usually do it, I would guess that he's stressed about the rumour, and thus is letting his thoughts slip when he thinks he's alone. Well, even if someone did overhear him, he could just wave it off with a smile, no doubt." _That sounds like the Hayato I know… But that isn't the real Hayato… Ugh, you just went over this two seconds ago! _"In any case, you'd better get ready, or even better, think up something against the rumour in case it spreads any further. Isshiki didn't know about it herself yet, so it's still likely confined to the male population, but it's only a matter of time before the girls hear of it as well – and if Hayama is having trouble quenching the rumour, the chance of that gets higher with each moment." I digested everything Hikio had said for a few moments, but before I could say anything, the waitress returned to us.

"Are you two ready to order?" The waitress asked from us with a smile, and I quickly realized that my answer to her question was no. _I spent the time I was supposed to use to pick out a meal by thinking about Hikio… __Damn it, h__e's managed to worm his way into my head and now doesn't want to leave._

"I'll have the _Tori katsu _bowl with _sekihan _rice and a side of miso soup with _katsuobushi _stock." Hikio replied to the waitress, who quickly wrote down his order, then shifted her gaze to me. _Crap, I didn't think what to order at all… Should I just say something generic like oyakodon or curry? Ugh, no, I can't even remember if those things were on the menu… Which leaves me the choice of…_

"I-I'll have the same as what he's having." I said to the waitress, feigning confidence with my tone of voice – though I wasn't quite sure if I succeeded or not, given the raised eyebrow I could see on both her and Hikio's face. _Just keep calm and fake confidence. Everything will be fine._

"Alright then." The waitress scribbled something down with a slight smile on her face, then glanced back between the two of us. "How about drinks?"

"I'm fine with just water. How about you, Miura?" Hikio asked and looked towards me. Luckily, this was a question I could answer.

"Yes, just water is fine." I replied, and I saw the waitress nodding.

"Great! Thank you very much. I'll bring over a water pitcher now, and give one of us a shout if you need it refilled. Your meals will arrive shortly." The waitress said with a bright smile, which I returned to her just as she left us. _Haah… Couldn't she have come a few minutes later? Then I would have had the chance to actually think of something to order… Well, I guess I only have myself to blame. _I nearly let out a sigh, but kept it in and looked to the other side of table, where Hikio was staring at my quizzically.

"What is it?" I asked, though I already had a fairly good guess of what he was going to say.

"...Why did you order the same thing I did?" Hikio asked in turn, keeping his gaze fixated on me.

"Why does it matter? It sounded good, so I wanted to try it." I replied and averted my gaze, beginning to twirl a stray strand of my hair with a finger as I ignored Hikio's gaze to the best of my ability. _It's your fault, stupid Hikio. You've been far too kind to me these past few days so I can't get you out of my thoughts any more, and it's distracting me._

"..." Hikio stayed quiet for a few moments, then let out a sigh, which prompted me to look back at him "...If you hadn't picked what to order yet, you could have just said so." I glared at Hikio and crossed my arms over my chest, and he seemed to flinch a little.

"T-that's not it! What does it like, matter to you what I order? I'm the one paying for it anyway, so why should you care?" I said with a huff, hiding my embarrassment with my bluster. "Besides… It did really sound good, so I wanted to try it." _This one is not technically a lie, as now thinking back on Hikio's order, it has gotten me interested…_

"And exactly because you're paying for it should you take your time and decide what you want for yourself. It could be a waste of money for all you know." Hikio said and leaned on his arm. _He… does have a point… But my pride won't allow that!_

"Here you go, your water pitcher." Before I could strike back at Hikio, I was interrupted by the waitress returning, now carrying a water pitcher and two tall glasses, which she placed on the table for us.

"_Arigatou_." Hikio thanked the waitress as he took the pitcher and poured himself a glass of water, then placed the pitcher back on the table, a little closer to my side of the table. _And now he's being considerate again… Does he even notice this stuff himself..? If he socialized a bit more, he could have girls all over him like Hayato does. _I felt my mood dropping a little, so I shook my head to clear my thoughts and reached for the pitcher to pour myself a glass of water as well.

"Well, if you like, care so much about what I use my money on, Hikio, why don't you choose the place for next time? I'm sure you know cheap places to get good food at." I glanced at Hikio as I poured the water into my glass and saw a slightly bewildered expression on his face as he looked back at me. "What?"

"_Next time_? You mean… You're planning on doing this with me again?" Hikio asked, and I realized what I had let out of my mouth. _Crap, why did I say that? It just kinda slipped out like it was nothing… _

"Well… I mean… Yeah? This is like, to compensate for your help, right? So just paying for food once isn't going to cut it." I replied as I placed the pitcher down and took a sip of the cool water. _Hikio has already done so much to help me, but I don't think he realizes it. __It's only logical that I'd repay him properly in proportion to the help he's given me. Yeah, that's it._

"No, uh, this is more than fine for me. It's not like I've done anything in particular. Depending on how much this costs, I might actually pitch in to pay a part of it, so I don't feel bad for using you for some free food when I've barely done anything." My hold on the glass of water tightened, and I felt like shouting at Hikio for how much of a dense _dumbass _he was being, but held it in, given that we were in public. _This idiot… Does he not know his own worth? He's done more for me than anyone has ever done, I've even said it to him, so why does his thick skull not understand it?_

"No, you're not paying a single yen today, Hikio. This is my way of repaying your help, so if we split the bill, there'd be no point in it. And you're not _using _me in any way – this is me showing my gratitude!" I glared at Hikio, who simply looked back at me blankly. _Gah! This is so frustrating… Do I have to spell it out for him? Ah, whatever. I don't want to shout at him here. Stupid Hikio. _"And, like, as I said, paying for food once isn't going to be enough, considering how much you've helped me, and everything you'll help me with in the future. So, answer my question. Do you know any cheap places with good food that we could go to next time? You said this place was fancier than where you normally eat, right? So where _do _you normally eat?" Hikio stared at me silently for a few moments, then let out a sigh.

"Fine. Let me think. Wait, no, I don't even need to think. The answer is easy." Hikio paused for a moment and looked me dead in the eye, his expression turning serious. _What's with that look..? Is this like, something super important to him..? _"The best place to get food that is cheap yet tasty is… _Saize_."

…

…

_...Saize?_

"Bwahahahaa!" I couldn't hold in my laughter after hearing Hikio's answer. After his dead-serious attitude, the punchline had been totally unexpected, making the whole thing so perfect I had to wonder if Hikio was secretly a famous stand-up comedian and this was all a part of some super-elaborate setting in a TV show. "Saize… For… real… Ahahahaa!" As I wiped tears away from the corners of my eyes, I could see glimpses of a very disgruntled-looking Hikio, which only fuelled my laughing fit.

"...You got a problem with Saize, Miura?" Hikio asked once I had calmed down a little, though I was still giggling constantly.

"Haah… No, I don't, it was just… that delivery… Haaaaa… You should totally… become a stand-up comedian, Hikio." Hikio glared back at me, then rolled his eyes and let out a sigh as I simply continued giggling at him. _Saize… I've been to one a couple of times, and the food's not bad, but… I did not expect him to say Saize…_

"Well, I guess it's better that people laugh at what I say rather than at me..." Hikio said as he leaned on his arm again and looked away from me, lazily scanning the restaurant with his gaze, before he suddenly froze in place, his face turning white as a sheet. _Hikio..?_

"Is… something wrong..?" I asked and glanced at where he was looking, but nothing caught my eye. "You look like you've… seen a ghost, or something. Hikio?" Hearing me call out to him, Hikio seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and briefly looked at me, then back at whatever he was looking at before.

"Okay, Miura, look-" Before Hikio could finish what he was about to say, a sudden voice interrupted him.

"Hikigaya? Wait, is that really Hikigaya?! No way, it really is!" I turned to the source of the voice and was met with a girl with short, curly brown hair rapidly making her way over to us, followed behind by a brown-haired guy, though his was different in hue to the girl's. _Who are they, then? That uniform they're wearing… Kaihin Sōgō? She seems to know Hikio… _As the girl got closer, her eyes suddenly landed on me and she stopped in place, the look on her face one of surprise. "Huh? Wait, are you on a date, Hikigaya? Wow! Good for you! Though, I would have expected you to go out with one of the two of _them_… Who is she, then?" I felt a slight heat forming on my cheeks at the girl's words, and I averted my gaze from her and instead looked at Hikio, who seemed to be absolutely _mortified_ by the girl's sudden appearance. _She seems… familiar somehow… Have I seen her somewhere before?_

"Right, slow down a little." Hikio said and held out a hand towards the brown-haired girl as he pinched the bridge of his nose, bringing her attention back to him. "First of all, no, this is not a date. She's just paying me compensation for helping her with something, that is all. And secondly… What the hell are you doing here, Orimoto?" _Orimoto, huh..? So Hikio does know her, then… But how does he know someone from another school? What's their history together?_

"Hm? Oh, prez over there asked me out today, saying that he wanted to take me here for dinner." The girl – now named Orimoto – answered with a bright smile and pointed at the person behind her with her thumb – who was now looking quite displeased with this development. _Ah, I see… So this was a date – for them. Doesn't look like she cares much, though… I kind of feel bad for you, 'prez'. _"I should be asking the same from you! Man, you were the last person I expected to see here today, Hikigaya. Why did you come so far from Soubu for your date?" _I… guess this place is kinda close to Kaihin… but, wait!_

"This isn't a date." I cut into the conversation, and Orimoto shifted her gaze to me. "We just didn't want to be seen by anyone from our school who could misunderstand the situation. Anyway, Hikio, who is she? You two seem to know each other." I crossed my arms and looked at Hikio questioningly, feeling some odd curiosity well up within me regarding Hikio's exact relationship to this girl.

"Wait wait wait, time out for a second. _Hikio_? _Hi-ki-o_? Oh my god that is so adorable!" Orimoto let out a giggle and moved next to Hikio, casually placing a hand on his shoulder, the contact making Hikio jump slightly. "When did you get such a pretty girlfriend? All you did was hang out with those two from that club of yours back during christmas, and I was sure there was something going on between you and one of them. The black-haired one seemed like right up your alley… Well, unless your tastes haven't changed since then, that is." Hikio's eyes widened slightly, before he scowled and grabbed Orimoto's hand – which caused the girl's face to twist into surprise – and moved it away from his shoulder. I, on the other hand, was focused on something completely different. _Me… Hikio's…_

_...Girlfriend?_

For whatever reason, those words stuck with me, and I felt an odd feeling I couldn't quite place welling up in me, alongside my heartbeat rising slightly. _T-that's a preposterous idea. Me and Hikio? Hah, you're making me laugh. That's right, it's a laughable idea. So what is… this feeling, then..?_

"She's not my girlfriend, Orimoto. What part of '_this is not a date_' do you not understand? We're just classmates, and she is repaying me for providing help to her, that is all." Hikio's words brought me out of my thoughts, and I saw him glaring at Orimoto.

"Fine, fine, I get it. So, is you helping her a recent development, then? I can't remember seeing her with you before." Hikio let out another small sigh, then gestured towards me with one hand.

"This is Miura Yumiko, a classmate of mine whom I am currently helping with a request. And Miura, this is-"

"Nice to meet you! I'm Orimoto Kaori, Hikigaya's… _classmate _from middle school, and… well, maybe something more than that." _Something more? What does that mean? Wait… don't tell me she was Hikio's girlfriend? No, there's no way. _"Oh, and he's the prez of our student council, Tamanawa." Orimoto gestured to her date partner, who had been silent up until now.

"Uh, hello. Kaori, could we go and-" Tamanawa began, but Orimoto didn't let him finish.

"Hey, so you two are eating here, right? Why don't we join you guys? Have you ordered yet?" Orimoto asked, her gaze flicking between Hikio and I, and I saw Tamanawa sighing in what seemed like a mix of exasperation and disappointment. _Yeah, I would probably feel that way too if my date suddenly started paying attention to someone else upon arriving at the date location…_

"Yes, we have already ordered our food. So, why don't you leave us to wait for it to arrive and then let us eat in peace?" Hikio said, clearly not pleased with the idea of Orimoto joining us.

"Hm? Oh, don't be like that, Hikigaya. The more the merrier, isn't that what they say?" Orimoto said with a smile and took a seat next to Hikio, taking off her coat as she did. _Looks like she won't take no for an answer. _"Since we met up like this, we might as well eat together, right? Come on, prez, you sit down as well." Hikio turned to me with a pleading look, and I shook my head in reply to him. _Orimoto seems like the kind of girl who'll want to go through with this no matter what, and with her cheery demeanour, you can't really go against her. __Besides… I can't help my curiosity regarding her…_

"It should be fine, right, Hikio? It's not like it could hurt." I said with a small smile, and Hikio looked like I had just betrayed him in the most horrible way possible. _Sorry, Hikio, but this feeling won't go away… I need to know more about her… _For whatever reason, the fact that Orimoto seemed to be insistent on sitting so close to Hikio irritated me greatly, and it irritated me even more because I couldn't figure out why.

"See? Even she agrees. I think we'll get along great!" Orimoto met my gaze with her own and smiled brightly, while Tamanawa glanced between the three of us sitting down, then took a deep breath and moved to sit down next to me.

"Excuse me, Miura-san. I'm Tamanawa, second-year student and student coundil president of Kaihin Sōgō high school. Nice to meet you." Tamanawa extended a hand to me, and I looked down at it with a raised eyebrow, before reluctantly shaking it.

"...And I'm Miura Yumiko, second-year student at Soubu." I found his formal greeting really odd, like he was trying too hard, but decided not to pay much attention to him, instead focusing on Orimoto on the other side of the table. "So, Orimoto-san… You said you were Hikio's classmate back in middle school, right?" Orimoto nodded enthusiastically back at me in reply, so I continued. "What was he like back then? The same loner as he is now, or did he like, actually have friends and… _you know_." In response to my question, Hikio began to glare at me, and I glared back at him. _He's not outright protesting, so it's fine. I'm not expecting there to be anything interesting about him from back then, but this Orimoto is acting a little too friendly for just being a former classmate…_

"Ah, well… I guess he was mostly the same, though he has changed a little from those days. I mean, now he has a whole bunch of pretty and beautiful girls among his friends!" Orimoto let out a laugh, while Hikio began to massage his temple. _Certainly… that is true. Yui, Yukinoshita, and even Isshiki seems to be close with him. And then there's of course me._

"Right. So, what was your relationship with him back then? You said you might have been '_something more_' than just a classmate, but what did you mean by that?" I didn't want to beat around the bush, so I asked her the question directly.

"Oi, Miura. You're digging a little too deep here." Hikio was the one who answered before Orimoto could. "We were classmates, that was it." It was clear from his tone of voice that he did not want to talk about this subject any more – which only made me more curious. _There had to be something between them._

"Don't say that Hikigaya!" Orimoto said and nudged Hikio with her shoulder, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tamanawa looking at the scene with a bit of envy, though he masked it well. "I'd say we were more than that… Well, maybe not by much, but… Wait, have you not told her, Hikigaya?" Orimoto turned to Hikio with a questioning look, and he sighed in return.

"And why do you think I would? It's not exactly something I'm proud of, so I don't go around telling everyone I meet about it." Hikio replied, then turned to look at me again. "Since I know Orimoto will say it in a way that will be easily misunderstood, and there's pretty much no way to avoid her saying it, I'll just tell it to you directly, Miura. Laugh at me if you want to." _Laugh? What, is it something embarrassing? And it has to do with Orimoto? _Realizing that Hikio was waiting for a reaction from me, I nodded to him with a bit of eagerness within me. _I need to know what their relationship was to get rid of this odd feeling I have… _"To put it shortly, Orimoto was nice to me when no-one else was, and I mistook that kindness for something else. I confessed to her and got rejected. That is all." Orimoto seemed to be holding in laughter, while Tamanawa next to me was clearly surprised – and so was I. _Hikio… confessed to Orimoto? So then he… liked her… _I shifted my gaze from Hikio to the girl next to her and took a good look at her, the feeling inside of me growing suddenly – and now I understood what that feeling was.

_Envy. Jealousy._

That's right. I was feeling _jealous _that this other girl was being so close with Hikio.

I felt _envious _that Hikio had once said to this other girl that he loved her.

And now I also felt _anger _that she had rejected him – that she could do something like that to him.

Hikio was a wonderful person, I know that, but most people – including myself just a week prior – only looked at the surface and judged based on that. Orimoto was this kind of person, I could tell. It made me angry to know she hadn't even given him a chance, given _herself _a chance to see past the surface.

_But…_

_If I'm feeling this way, does that mean…_

_...that I _like _Hikio?_

* * *

**AN: And that's a wrap, folks! This chapter was (once again) longer than what I usually aim for, but it couldn't be helped. There was so much I wanted to have in this chapter, so it got kind of long, but to you lot, that's probably only a positive thing. As for something that's not so positive, it seems the third season of the Anime has been postponed due to the pandemic, which is a real shame, as I was thoroughly looking forward to it, but I guess it gives me some time to try to find a good fan translation of the last few Novels I've yet to read so I can catch up in time. Oh well, I guess you do have to wait for good things, eh?**

**I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner, but unlike this one, I don't have a solid plan for it yet, so we'll see if I can manage that.**

**Until then, I bid you all farewell!**


	7. Chapter 6 - Warmth of Another

**AN: Hello again, everyone! It's been a bit of a while, has it not? The newest chapter in my other currently ongoing story took me a lot longer to write than I had planned, so consequently this chapter was delayed as well. But, do not worry, for I have no plans of ever abandoning any stories, and I am always working on something as I alternate between stories (I update my profile regularly with info on what I'm working on currently), so this delay should hopefully be a one-time thing. But, it is always possible that I manage to top off my ineptitude and laziness at some point in the future, so I won't make any promises. I thank you all for your continued support and patience – you're going to need a lot of that second one with me, if you hadn't guessed already at this point. But, quality quantity, eh?**

**Now, I think I've kept you all in suspense for long enough, so let's get the show on the road!**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Warmth of Another**

_Click_

I gently tugged on the door after hearing the lock click, making sure that it was indeed locked. It wasn't like the clubroom had anything valuable inside of it, unlike many of the other clubs here, but I couldn't very well just leave the door open just because of that. After finishing my confirmation, I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder and placed the key into my pocket. _Right, time to go return this to Hiratsuka-sensei._

The halls of the special-use building were quiet and empty as I made my way through them. It wasn't out of the usual for the building to be this calm and serene, as the Service Club was rather far from everything else, but it was even more quiet now as club hours hadn't ended yet. The only sounds in the hallway apart from my own footsteps were the occasional muffled bits of conversation that came from some of the classrooms. Unsurprisingly, I didn't meet any other students on my way to Hiratsuka-sensei's office, apart from a group of first-year girls giggling amongst themselves as they walked down the hallway, away from the faculty wing of the school. As I passed by them, I noticed a couple of them quieting down as they stole glances at me, and once they were behind me, hushed whispers reached my ears. _Seems my reputation is quite far-reaching, though I was already aware of that. Though, perhaps Isshiki-san has something to do with even the first-years knowing of me. Hmph, she really did manage to interrupt mine and Hikigaya-kun's quiet moments at the worst possible time. What she said about Miura-san, though…_

I hadn't said it out loud back then, but there was something nagging at me about Hikigaya's explanation. Certainly, I did find it difficult to imagine him having a conversation with Miura that lasted longer than a single sentence, but the fact that Isshiki had heard it from Hayama was the most intriguing part. If what Isshiki said was true, then Hayama had some reason to think that Miura had been speaking with Hikigaya – without anyone else knowing – which would indicate that he had noticed something out of the ordinary about her behaviour. Something, that could have been _influenced _by Hikigaya. _He has a very unique view of the world, and thinks differently from many people, so his influence on a person should be clear as day __to see__. But I still find it hard to imagine for her to be able to speak freely with Hikigaya-kun... Though perhaps speaking is not necessary. If Hayama-kun has indeed noticed something different about Miura-san, something that he thinks might have changed due to Hikigaya-kun's influence, Miura-san could have gotten whatever that is from simply _observing _Hikigaya-kun. She has seen how he operates on multiple occasions, so the idea is not too far-fetched. __However, t__hat does raise the question of what would have triggered her choosing to act in this new manner, or do whatever it is that has made Hayama-kun suspicious of her. Could something have truly happened between them, like Hikigaya-kun believes? Although… that is not the most concerning thing. _I felt grip on the strap of my bag tightening. _If this hypothesis is true, then…_

_...Miura-san has had her eye on Hikigaya-kun. _My _Hikigaya-kun._

Before I had realized it, I was standing in front of the door to Hiratsuka-sensei's office, and I shook my head to clear away my thoughts. _I would hope that is false, as I do not want to resort to any drastic measures regarding Miura-san. Still, it __might be a good idea__ to keep an eye on her, to see if she truly has been influenced by Hikigaya-kun in some way or another, and __if she has, __where that influence has stemmed from. But, that is something I can return to at a later date. _I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself, then gently knocked on the door to Hiratsuka-sensei's office.

"The door's open, come in." A muffled voice that I recognized as Hiratsuka-sensei came from within, so I opened the door and stepped inside.

"Good afternoon, Hiratsuka-sensei." I greeted as I entered the familiar office and looked towards the desk at the other side of the room, where Hiratsuka-sensei was sat down, leaning back in her chair with her legs propped up on the desk as she held a stack of papers in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. As she heard my voice, she shifted her gaze from the papers to me, and her expression turned to one of surprise.

"Yukinoshita? What are you doing here? Did Hikigaya finally start his life of crime or something?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked as she lowered the stack of papers onto her desk and took a drag from her cigarette. _I have reprimanded her about that unhealthy habit of hers in the past, but it seems she hasn't taken my advice to heart… Well, I know it can be difficult to stop smoking just like that, but I get the feeling Hiratsuka-sensei hasn't even tried._

"No, not yet. You'll know when it has happened when you hear the sirens outside." I replied with a smile of amusement, and Hiratsuka-sensei grinned in return. "I came to return the to key to the clubroom. We ended early today." I fished the key out of my pocket and walked over to her desk, prompting her to take her legs off it and sit straighter in her chair.

"Oh, is that so? May I ask why?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked as I handed her the key.

"Hikigaya-kun had an errand to run for his little sister, so he requested to leave half an hour early today. Since Yuigahama-san was absent today, and we hadn't gotten any requests, I saw it acceptable for us to end a little early." I explained as Hiratsuka-sensei stubbed the remains of her cigarette into the ashtray on her desk to extinguish it. _At least she has the courtesy to not smoke with her students around._

"Alright. Usually you'd have to receive permission from your club advisor – in other words, from _me –_ but I trust you kids enough to let it slide." I nodded with a smile in reply. "An errand for his sister, huh… Komachi-chan really has her little finger wrapped around him, doesn't she? It'll be highly amusing when she comes to Soubu at the start of the next year." Hiratsuka-sensei continued as she glanced back at the papers on her desk, her gaze lingering on them for a moment before she pushed the pile a little a farther away.

"If she can pass the entrance exams, that is, but I have faith in her. Komachi-chan is proof that Hikigaya-kun's bad points are not to be blamed on his genes." Hiratsuka-sensei grinned again, but her expression soon changed to a compassionate one. "I only hope that he won't let his '_obsession_' with his younger sister drag her name through the mud." I smiled to myself in amusement, but the smile disappeared when I saw Hiratsuka-sensei staring down at her ashtray with an awkward smile.

"I know you have a sharp tongue, Yukinoshita, and I've seen you two bicker like an old married couple before, but… I do think you should turn the dial down a little." Hiratsuka-sensei looked me straight in the eye, and I felt a jolt of guilt go through me. _Ah, I didn't… mean it that way… _"Hikigaya acts like he doesn't let that kind of stuff get to him, and I know he's tough enough to handle some insults, but when they're coming from someone who's actually _close _to him… No-one can weather it forever." I felt my heartbeat rising slightly as Hiratsuka-sensei referred to myself and Hikigaya being _close_, but managed to keep my cool.

"...Sorry. I… Hikigaya-kun is very… _important_ to me, so I would never… actually..." I averted my gaze from Hiratsuka-sensei, and saw her smiling out of the corner of my eye.

"It's okay, Yukinoshita." I looked back at Hiratsuka-sensei, locking my eyes with hers. "You two enjoy your banter, I've seen that, but I think you two should just… _talk _sometimes. Be honest with each other." _Be honest… _"You two are oddballs who don't fit in with everyone else, so you've got to make sure you stick together." I smiled at Hiratsuka-sensei and bowed to her briefly.

"Thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei." _She can be a surprisingly good counsellor sometimes… Perhaps I have not given her enough credit._

"It's nothing, Yukinoshita." Hiratsuka-sensei stretched as I raised my head again. "Now, as for Hikigaya's 'obsession' with his little sister, as you put it… Well, he'll just say it's his instincts as an older brother, but I think it's a little deeper than that. He's protective of her, like many older siblings are, but for him, it doesn't just end there – even if he himself doesn't realize it." I raised an eyebrow in question at her words. _What does she mean by that? _Seeing my confusion, Hiratsuka-sensei continued. "He's not protective of Komachi-chan just because he's her brother, he's protective of her because that's the kind of person he is. But, he won't have his sister around forever, and he can't always be there to protect her. He needs someone else to be with, someone else he cares for to protect." Hiratsuka-sensei's smile widened a little as she stared me in the eyes. _Someone else to protect… Of course! Yes, that makes sense. That someone else is obviously _me_. How did I not see it before? Just another reason why we are meant to be together… _"Well, that's just what I think. I could be wrong, but I doubt that. And if Hikigaya doesn't find anyone who fits the bill, he's always welcome here! He's always making me worried for his future, so he might as well let me take responsibility to secure it." Hiratsuka-sensei let out a small chuckle as she leaned back in her chair again, clearly satisfied with her joke. _I would certainly hope she is only joking. It would not end well if she was not. _I quickly shook my head to clear my thoughts, before speaking again.

"We'll have to see about that. Oh, speaking of worrying about his future..." Hiratsuka-sensei lifted an eyebrow in question. _Hikigaya-kun did mention today that she had been an annoyance to him recently… _"...I know you are his teacher and all, but I don't believe pestering him about his future on such a regular basis will have the desired effect." _I do not see Hiratsuka-sensei as a potential threat to mine and Hikigaya-kun's future, but it wouldn't __do good to have him spending too much time with other women. And if having his lunch breaks to himself makes him happier, then that can only be a positive thing. And perhaps then… we could even have lunch together… _My pleasant thoughts were interrupted once I noticed the confused expression on Hiratsuka-sensei's face, as if she didn't understand what I was talking about.

"Huh? Well, er… sure. I do the things I do for him, of course, and this _is _my job, so..." Hiratsuka-sensei replied as she rubbed the back of her neck, still looking quite confused. _That was an… interesting response. Does she not see that she could have been an annoyance to Hikigaya-kun? He is usually quite vocal when something doesn't please him… _"Did he… say that himself?" Hiratsuka-sensei asked carefully, her tone of voice telling me that she was genuinely concerned about the fact that she might have done something to upset Hikigaya. _Teachers shouldn't really play favourites, but it seems Hiratsuka-sensei cannot help but doing so with Hikigaya-kun… I'll allow it or now, as long as it doesn't interfere with _us_._

"Yes, he made an off-hand comment about how today was the first day he had gotten to be in peace, since he has had less quiet moments by himself than usual." I replied. _She should know what I am referring to, unless the 'woman' who had been interrupting Hikigaya-kun's lunch breaks was someone else… But I don't want to believe that Hikigaya-kun would lie to me like that. _

"Hmm… I suppose I didn't scold him as much today… Well, I'll talk with him tomorrow. Communication is key, after all. I might even apologize to him if he truly feels like I've been an annoyance – and if I'm in the mood for it." Hiratsuka-sensei smiled widely at me, and I gave her a smile of my own in return. _Well, it seems I don't have anything to worry about for now. __Oh, while I am here, though…_

"This question may be a bit unexpected, but… I don't suppose you've noticed anything different about your class this week?" Hiratsuka-sensei raised an eyebrow in question, so I continued. "We received a request from Hayama-kun on Monday, but rejected it, and Hikigaya-kun believed that due to the nature of his request, something must have happened between him and Miura-san. I am lead to believe they are part of a rather notable friend group in your class, so something happening between its members should have a noticeable effect, no?" Hiratsuka-sensei looked upwards in thought for a few moments, then closed her eyes as she crossed her arms over the chest.

"You're asking difficult questions from me, Yukinoshita. While it is my job to keep the class in check and monitor them as a counsellor, with something like that, you'd be better off asking one of the students. I assume you've already spoken with Yuigahama about this?" I nodded as Hiratsuka-sensei opened one of her eyes to look at me. _She did say that Miura-san was acting differently on Monday, but it didn't seem like it was particularly difficult to notice. _"Well, neither Miura or Hayama has come to me with anything, and I can't remember anything particularly sticking out, so… I can't say. Want me to keep an eye on the two of them?"

"That..." I was about to continue with '_won't be necessary_', but stopped myself. _Certainly, we did not undertake Hayama-kun's request, so this was just a bit of curiosity on my part regarding Hikigaya-kun's thoughts on the matter, so there's no need for Hiratsuka-sensei to go out of her way for this, but… Could I use her to keep an eye on Miura-san? Not being in the same class as them would make any attempts at doing so significantly more difficult, but if I could utilize Hiratsuka-sensei for finding out whether Miura-san has somehow been influenced by Hikigaya-kun… No, that won't do. Unless I specifically told Hiratsuka-sensei to do that, I wouldn't get any usable information from her. _"...won't be needed. I was just a little curious." Hiratsuka-sensei nodded to me in reply.

"Alright. Well, thanks for bringing this to my attention, at least. Miura and her friends have a nice dynamic going on, and it would affect the whole class if something happened to it. Hayama doesn't really talk with me much, but Miura… I'll see if I can steal a couple of minutes of her time at some point." Hiratsuka-sensei reached out for a notebook on her table and ripped out one of the pages, then took a pen out of her coat pocket and wrote something down quickly. "I won't tell her that you were the one who told me about this, Yukinoshita. While _some _of them require _special_ attention, I do care for all of my students. Besides, it's been a little while since my last talk with Miura..." Hiratsuka-sensei seemed to get lost in thought as she stared off into the distance, her expression turning more serious again. "Ah, sorry, I got a bit distracted there. You only came here to return the key, right? I won't keep you here any longer." Hiratsuka-sensei looked back at me with a smile, reaching into her pocket for what looked like a lighter.

"And I won't keep you from your work any longer, Hiratsuka-sensei." I replied, and her gaze flicked briefly to the papers she had set aside when we began to talk, a wry smile appearing on her face. "Goodbye, and I will see you again tomorrow." I then continued with a small bow.

"Yeah, see you, Yukinoshita." Hiratsuka-sensei raised a hand as she leaned back in her chair, and I turned to leave her office, hearing the click of a lighter behind me as I closed the door. _It is her office, so I __won't comment on__ it._

I let out a small sigh as I exited, then adjusted my bag on my shoulder. _Right, I guess I'll use the extra time I have for a bit of grocery shopping._

* * *

If there exists some form of higher being in the universe, like the many different religions from around the world seem to believe, then that being must be _extremely _sadistic. There is no other explanation for why such a "benevolent" and "loving" being would inflict plight upon plight on mankind, over and over again. Some say that these things are simply punishment for man's transgressions, but what of the seemingly innocent people who receive these "punishments"? Saying that they have done something "wrong" to have warranted something bad happening to them is an incredibly self-centred way of thinking, and it makes this supposed deity seem like a narcissist, forcing punishment unto those who have done something only they personally believe to be worthy of punishment. But I digress.

The main point is that I do not see anything benevolent in a higher being that unjustly punishes those who do not deserve punishment. Such as myself. All I am doing is living my life without disturbing others or causing them any trouble – that is my oath as a loner. What could I have possibly done to deserve _this_?

"...Hikigaya was totally a creep back then, but he doesn't seem to be that bad now. Still a creep though. Although… We got a lot closer during christmas, didn't we, Hikigaya?" The culprit behind my currently rapidly souring mood nudged me with her elbow, and I sent her a small glare in return, though the girl did not seem to notice it. _If by 'got a lot closer' you mean you invading my personal space by forcefully sitting next to me in a restaurant without my consent, then yes, we did get closer. Except that didn't happen during christmas, but __rather__ right now._

"Oi, be careful, I'm eating here, Orimoto." I scolded the girl on my left and looked down at my food, placing a bit of chicken in my mouth. _Definitely tasty, but the company is causing my appetite to disappear – along with my will to live. Very slowly, but surely. _

"Aww, don't be like that!" Orimoto ignored my pleas and leaned a little closer, staring hungrily at my food. "That looks really good, Hikigaya. Maybe I should have ordered the same thing… Oh, right!" Orimoto quickly turned her gaze to the other side of the table, where Miura and Tamanawa were sat, her gaze locking onto the blonde. "You two ordered the same thing, right? What's up with that? That's like, so adorable. Are you _sure_ this isn't a date?" Orimoto spoke so quickly that even the social butterfly that was Miura Yumiko seemed to have trouble keeping up. _Though, she is more of a queen bee than a butterfly… Or maybe a wasp. _For a moment, Miura's eyes met mine and narrowed ever so slightly, and I felt a shiver going through me. _Scary. Why are all women mind-readers? That is such an unfair advantage._

"It's nothing too deep, Orimoto-san. I just liked the sound of what Hikio ordered, so I wanted the same thing. Turns out he does actually have good taste." Miura replied to Orimoto. _So she still won't admit the truth…_

"Oh, that is like, totally surprising. Can you believe what he suggested when we had a double date last year? He said – sorry, just the memory is making me laugh." Orimoto said and stifled her giggles, then continued. "He suggested that we'd go to _Saizeriya_! Can you imagine?" Miura shifted her gaze back to me briefly and raised an eyebrow, and I shook my head in return. _Well, at least you two will be able to bond over having laughed at my restaurant preferences. To be honest… I almost expected Miura and Orimoto to get along better, but Miura seems… I don't know, tense? She isn't being as chatty as I would expect her to be when around someone like Orimoto… Then again, __the past __couple of days__ ha__ve__ showed me that Miura is not exactly as I thought her out to be. Perhaps she can't handle someone like Orimoto either._

"Well, I _can _in fact imagine Hikio making a suggestion like that." Miura replied with a small smile on her lips. "Though, I have been to Saize a few times, and the food is not bad. I can like, see it having its own charm." _Ah, perhaps I have been too hasty in my judgement. We'll make a Saize regular out of you __yet!_

"Hmmm… I guess…" Orimoto looked upwards in thought and furrowed her brows, but quickly looked back at Miura with a smile. "Hey, so like, what exactly is your relationship with Hikigaya? He said you two are classmates, but that he's also helping you with something?" Miura glanced at me, her gaze lingering on me for a few moments before she replied.

"Well… I guess you could say that we're fri-"

"We're _classmates_. That's it, Orimoto." I cut off Miura to correct her, and Miura turned to look at me with a small glare. _Is that anger from having cut her off? I would assume so, but… Her expression looks… _hurt_. _"And I do remember telling you about the club I am in. I am helping Miura with a _personal issue _of hers in exchange for compensation." I continued and gesture towards my food.

"Really? But she calls you with such an… _affectionate _nickname. You gotta be closer than just classmates." Orimoto shifted her gaze between myself and Miura, who was now looking down at her own food, her cheeks slightly red. I let out a sigh and massaged my temple, then looked towards the fourth person at the table – Tamanawa – who had been largely silent the entire time, having stopped trying to get into the conversation after the first few failed attempts when Orimoto had either interrupted or ignored him. _I feel kinda bad for him, for having to put up with Orimoto on a daily basis. __Then again__, he was the one who asked out Orimoto to come here today, so he is the person to blame for me being in this predicament. _Tamanawa's eyes met mine, and a pained smile appeared on his face.

"...I think I'm going to go to the toilet, while we're still waiting for our meals." Tamanawa said and stood up, sensing a break in the conversation as neither Miura or I had said anything in reply to Orimoto. The brunette spared him a quick glance and a smile, but her attention was back to Miura and I quickly.

"...But we aren't, Orimoto. Our… _relationship_, if you can call it that, is that of classmates, and currently, one between a client and a… _service provider_, if you will. This is her paying me compensation for my services." I explained to Orimoto and returned to my food. _She's being very insistent on not getting that into her head. We both agreed that what is in the past stays there, but I still can't stand Orimoto…_

"That's just what _you _think, Hikio!" I looked to the other side of the table and met Miura's glare, which caused me to flinch back. "Have _we _not gotten closer as well during the past few days? Or are you saying that the things I've told you mean nothing? I don't just open up my heart and my worries to anyone, you know..." Miura averted her gaze from me, and her expression elicited a reaction from my older brother instincts. _She has shown me a side she hasn't shown to others, her weakness, __but… It's not like we're _that _close. Well, I guess she has put her trust into me… _I kept looking at the blonde for a few moments, and it was clear that she had been hurt by what I had said. _Don't show me such an expression, woman! Gah, fine, whatever!_

"...Sorry." I said quietly and looked away, seeing Miura shifting her gaze to me in the corner of my eye. _If Miura really thought we were closer than what I thought, she deserves at least this much. __Haah… I knew this whole thing was going to be a pain… _"...But I do think we need to make some things clear, Miura." I turned my gaze back to Miura and saw a small smile on her face as she raised an eyebrow in question. "You've put your trust into me, but… we aren't exactly friends. I don't know what you see in me to have come to that conclusion." Miura's eyebrow twitched in what seemed like irritation.

"Why are you just so… Argh!" Miura slammed her fist onto the table, causing both me and Orimoto – who had been quietly observing us – to jump. _Uh… did I accidentally poke the tiger..? At least Miura doesn't carry a wooden katana around._ "Look, Hikio, I don't give a crap about what you think of… _us_. Sure, a week ago we may have been nothing but classmates, and I totally thought you were a creep, like Orimoto-san says you were back in middle school. But now, having gotten to know you… You're much more than that, Hikio. And I am… glad to be able to call you my _friend_." Miura smiled widely at me, and I felt my heartbeat rising as I looked into her eyes. _I've said it before and I will say it again – that smile is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Can she be incarcerated for committing war crimes already so I don't have to worry about dying to a heart attack any time soon? Seriously, being as pretty and attractive as Miura or Yukinoshita should be illegal… _"Sorry you had to see this, Orimoto-san. Hikio is just like, so _dense _about some things." Miura said with a sigh to the brunette next to me. _Don't talk like you know me, Miura. You're the dense one here, for thinking we were friends. _Miura's eyes met mine again, her brows furrowing, and I quickly looked away. _...I'm starting to really think she is actually a mind reader._

"Ahahaa… It's fine! You two really seem to get along well!" Orimoto said cheerfully. _How did you come to that conclusion? Well, I guess we 'get along' better than before, but… __Haah… This is a pain. _I let out a sigh and ignored Orimoto for now, looking back at Miura instead.

"...Fine, then. Do as you please, Miura." The blonde smiled triumphantly, and I resumed my eating. _I'll be done with her request soon enough anyway, I think. Ebina will be able to help her much more than I can. Speaking of which… _"Oh, by the way, Miura… When are you going to tell Yuigahama about… you know. You've got Ebina with you now, so she'll be the next step."

"Oh, um… I think… I'll try to see if I can visit her tomorrow. I just hope she'll be able to understand everything about the rumour and the things with Hayato..." Miura replied as she twirled a strand of her hair around her index finger. For some reason, I found my eyes being drawn to the motion she was doing. _It reminds a little of that thing Yukinoshita does when she moves a strand of her hair behind her ear while reading… _Before I realized it, I felt my heartbeat increasing as I imagined Yukinoshita sitting in Miura's place, and had to shake my head a little to clear away the image. _Love is scary… I'm starting to hallucinate now._

"Hm? Did you say Hayato?" Orimoto seemed to perk up again, drawing both mine and Miura's attention to back to herself. "As in, Hayama Hayato? Do you know him?" _Of course she'd jump back in at the mention of Hayama._

"Yes?" Miura looked at Orimoto with a confused expression, glancing at me briefly before continuing. "He is a… _classmate_, so of course I… _know _him." _So you're calling me your friend, but Hayama doesn't qualify for that title any more? Well, I guess it's understandable, given what happened. Still, it is surprising to see how much Miura has changed in such little time – although she did tell me that this has been a long time brewing. _"What I'd like to know is how _you _know of him, Orimoto-san."

"Oh, Hayama Hayato is like, super popular, did you not know?" Miura's eye twitched at Orimoto's words, but she didn't say anything. _Oh, she knows that better than anyone else. _"Well, people know him even in Kaihin – at least most of the girls do." Orimoto let out a little giggle, then nudged me in the side with her elbow. "You remember that 'double date' we went on with him and my friend Chika, right, Hikigaya?" _I wish I could forget, but alas, that is not how our memory works._ "Man, that was so fun… We should go out like that again at some point!" _Yeah, no, let's not. _

"When… When was this?" Miura asked from the other side of the table, narrowing her eyes at Orimoto. _Ah, right… Hayama probably didn't ever tell Miura that he'd been out on a date with two girls from another school – for understandable reasons._

"It was last year before christmas. I can't quite remember when, though… It was right after I met Hikigaya again for the first time since middle school when he was at that cafe with the pretty older girl." Orimoto replied, and I saw Miura's eyes flicking to me briefly at the mention of me having been at a cafe with Haruno. _It wasn't with her there willingly, though. Nor on that 'date', for that matter._

"It was the day you were out shopping with Ebina. We saw each other at that clothing store." I said to Miura, recalling the events of that day. "You fell down and I caught a glim-" I stopped myself before I remembered the details of our encounter any more vividly, feeling a sudden heat rising to my cheeks. _T-they were a nice shade of pink, though… Wait, no, bad brain! _"_Ahem_. S-so, yeah, it was back then." I scratched my cheek awkwardly and didn't look directly at Miura, though luckily she didn't seem to have caught on to what I had _almost _said. _I only hope her mind-reading __powers don't see through me…_

"I _knew _you felt familiar, Orimoto-san!" Miura said with a louder voice and pointed a finger at Orimoto, who now had a surprised expression on her face. "I saw you with Hayato that day! Figures that he wouldn't tell me the truth about it… He just brushed the whole thing aside when I questioned him." Miura pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in exasperation, and I noticed Tamanawa walking back towards our table in the distance.

"Hm? Wait, so is he your friend or something?" Orimoto asked from Miura, who was now back to twirling a strand of her hair with her index finger. "Or is there something _more_?"

"It's… complicated. And it doesn't have anything to do with you." Miura replied, glancing to the side briefly as Tamanawa got closer. "Just… whatever you think of Hayato, I'd give up now. He's not the type of person you think he is." I couldn't stop a small smirk from appearing on my face. _And to think a week ago she would have probably been praising Hayama… Well, that's just my assumption, as I don't know how long she's been suspecting that something has been off about him._

"Oh, it was just my friend, Chika, who was interested." Orimoto waved her hand at Miura dismissively. "And… he did kind of say something… _unexpected _at the end of the day…" _Is she referring to Hayama's disgusting pity? I guess it was drastically different from __his tone prior to that. _"Anyway, I'm _starving_! Why are they taking so long with our orders." Orimoto changed the subject as she leaned on the table just as Tamanawa returned, taking his seat next to Miura.

"I'm sure they'll be done soon, Kaori." Tamanawa said to the brunette with a small smile. "This place is rather popular, and there seems to be quite a few customers tonight, but I'm sure the staff is professional enough to be able to handle the higher amount of orders. After all, it wouldn't be good for their business or public image if customers complained about slow service." Tamanawa was making odd motions with his hands, which Orimoto seemed to be entirely focused on, rather than what he was actually saying. _S__ome people just never change, huh? At least he's not trying to use big words too often any more._

"Yeah, you know it, prez!" Orimoto seemed to get some newfound hope for her situation as she sprung up and raised her fist above her head. _Some people definitely never change. _I let out a small sigh and shifted my gaze to Miura on the other side of the table, who looked back at me with amusement.

Shortly afterwards Tamanawa's guess turned out to have been correct, as he and Orimoto received their meals. And despite finally receiving her food, the brunette didn't show any signs of stopping the conversation – I am thoroughly amazed at how someone can talk _so much _while simultaneously eating. Tamanawa managed to pitch in a few times, and even dragged me into the conversation by asking about Isshiki and the student council (_How should I know anything? If you're genuinely curious, ask Isshiki herself, or another member of the student council, not me_), but mostly it was just the girls talking – though Orimoto definitely dominated the conversation. I didn't pay that much attention to what she talked about – choosing instead to focus mainly on my food – but the topics seemed to mainly revolve around studying at Kaihin (and how it differed from Soubu), random girly topics, Hayama (though Miura always steered the conversation in another direction whenever he was mentioned) and Orimoto poking fun or laughing at me.

Name: Hikigaya Hachiman. Special Skills: Making girls laugh. At me.

Sigh.

I wasn't really bothered, but it did seem like keeping the past in the past didn't mean much to Orimoto, as – apart from her much closer proximity to me – nothing had changed since middle school. To Orimoto, I was still the creep who everyone made fun of, even if she now thought a little more highly of me. It wasn't really anything serious, though, just her bringing up embarrassing things from middle school that I had long since forgotten and didn't even know she was aware of. One thing I did find interesting, however, was that she didn't mention my confession after I initially revealed it to Miura (and Tamanawa, I guess) at all, and she seemed to be actively avoiding talking about the things that followed after it. _I guess in that regard she really is keeping what happened between us in the past. I should probably be thankful that she has at least that much decency. __I don't want Miura's pity should she hear of all the things I've been through and had to endure._

Soon enough, I found myself finishing up the last of my food, and I saw that Miura was close to having eaten as well. _Normally, I would now pay and take my leave, but… Miura seemed adamant about paying for this, so I should wait for her. Of course, I won't say no to free food, but… I didn't expect her to choose a place like this. Despite the company, the food tasted quite good, so I can only imagine how much it's going to cost, and that's making me feel a little bad for her. _While Miura and I were already finishing up, Orimoto and Tamanawa were still in the middle of their own meals. _There's no need to wait for the two of them, though. I'll need to hurry if I want to make sure that I'm home before Komachi is. _I glanced at my watch, noting that it had taken a little more than I had initially expected for us to finish our meals.

"Miura." The blonde on the opposite side of the table lifted her gaze to meet mine and raised an eyebrow in question. "I want to try to get home before my sister does, so..." I gestured towards Miura's food with my chin and gently tapped on my watch with a finger.

"Are you telling me to hurry up with my eating?" Miura asked with a scowl. "I'll have you know that I plan on eating at exactly the pace I want to, Hikio." Despite her words, Miura seemed to begin eating a little quicker than before, though that could just be a coincidence – a very suspiciously timed one at that. _If you're going to hurry anyway, you might as well say it._

"Suit yourself. I'll just pay for my part of the meal and leave you to finish up." I glanced around the restaurant to see if I could spot a waiter to receive the bill from, but Miura spoke again before I could call one over.

"No, you're not allowed to do that, Hikio." I turned back to Miura and met her stern gaze boring into me. "This is _my _treat to _you_, so you won't pay a single yen for this food." _Since when did she start to think she could exert power over my own decisions? _I glared at the blonde, and she returned my glare to me ten-fold. _Uh… Maybe I shouldn't provoke the Fire Queen that much, after all. Miura may have changed and turned out to be a different kind of person than what I thought before, but the fire is still there, and I don't fancy getting burnt. _

"Fine, fine, whatever." I said with a sigh and leaned backwards. "Just… Don't take too long." _I'd rather get home before Komachi than try to weather her endless questions. I could come up with a quick lie to hide the fact that I was out eating with Miura, but… Lying to my sister is kind of… Well, I should be forgiven, right?_

"Huh? You're leaving already, Hikigaya?" Orimoto asked and turned to face her. "But I was having so much fun with you! I wanted to spend more time with you, since we happened to meet like this!" Orimoto leaned closer to me, and I leaned further away in response. _I was _not _having fun, though, Orimoto. _"Let's hang out some more, we can have Miura-san come with us. Your sister can wait, right?" The brunette casually placed a hand on my shoulder, like it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do at that moment.

"Don't you mean you had fun _making fun _of him?" Before I could retort, to everyone's surprise, Miura spoke up – quite loudly, may I add – with a cold voice. "Is that why you want to stay with him? You've already caused him _trauma_, and yet you keep up this… _bullying_?" Tamanawa and Orimoto were shocked expressions on their faces, and while that was my initial reaction as well, I quickly felt my own face twisting into a scowl. _Trauma? What the hell do you mean, woman? That Orimoto rejected me back in middle school? Please. It might have been bad then, but calling it a trauma is blowing overboard. Don't act like you know me, Miura._

"Miura-" I tried to speak, but Miura stopped me with a raised hand. _What, are you Arnold Schwarzenegger now?_

"Don't, Hikio. I know what you'll say, but I won't let you." Miura shifted her gaze from glaring at Orimoto to me, her expression softening. "You don't value yourself enough, so you don't speak up for yourself and just endure everything. I know this from having listened to Yui for the past like, year, and now I've also seen it myself first-hand. But… It's not possible to endure everything forever. _I _know that." I was about to retort, but something in Miura's expression stopped me from doing so. _She has no right to speak like she knows me, but… Don't tell me she's now speaking from _experience_?_

I had suspected that there was something in Miura's past that she wasn't telling everyone else – something she wanted to forget – ever since she opened up to me and said she didn't want to be _alone_. If there truly was something… _traumatic _that happened to her, then I could understand her having some credibility in talking about having to endure the cruel, harsh world. But that didn't give her any right to speak for me.

Sure, I have endured the cruelness of the world for years. It's what has moulded me into who I am right now. But since Miura is obviously not like myself, she most definitely has not gone through everything I have. Thus, she cannot speak as if she knows me. Besides, all of that is in the past, and should stay there.

And as for Miura herself… What do I care? If there even is anything traumatic in her past, I won't stick my nose into it, and I'd expect payment in kind.

I say that, and yet…

I didn't speak up against her.

I simply looked into her olive-green eyes, something deep within them preventing me from retorting against her. There was something there that told me the girl had been _hurt_, and not just by Hayama. And for some reason, that made me feel something towards Miura. Something, that I felt for very few people on this planet.

_Compassion_.

That meant I supposedly _cared_ for her. And knowing that made me uneasy, as so far, the only people I have cared for have been those very few close to me. Komachi, and the girls from the Service Club. Hiratsuka-sensei, in way, as well as Totsuka and Kawasaki, to some degree. And, as much as I hate to admit it… Zaimokuza. Miura was not someone I would have ever thought I could care about enough to feel compassion towards.

And yet here we are.

"Um… Miura-san..? What… are you talking about?" The first one to break the silence was Tamanawa, whose gaze flitted between the rest of us, the confusion clear on his face.

"_You _can keep your mouth shut, _prez_." Tamanawa flinched back at Miura's reply. The Fire Queen was in full force, and was not accepting any backtalk. "You act all friendly with Hikio, but fail to see what he actually wants. You keep laughing at his expense and don't understand what kind of person he actually is, what he's actually worth. I'm not just going to sit here and watch Hikio endure everything. You can only pour so much water into a kettle before it overflows." Orimoto had been looking at Miura with a dumbstruck expression, but now shifted to look at me, only to avert her gaze immediately after our eyes met. _Miura… Why does she… care about what happens to me all of a sudden? I won't 'overflow' from just Orimoto laughing at me. I don't… need your pity. _I looked away from Miura, feeling my fist clenching in frustration – both at Miura and at _myself_.

"I didn't… I never… Hikigaya…" Orimoto spoke quietly, stealing small glances at me. "But, like… I thought he was okay with it, you know? Reminiscing… about the past. He didn't speak out against it..."

"Don't just assume things like that. Just… Ugh, I'm done with all this! Waiter!" The three of us stared at Miura silently as she called over a waiter and asked for the bill, paying for both of our meals before grabbing her coat and bag, then standing up and walking to my side of the table. "Come on, Hikio. We're leaving." Miura reached out a hand past Orimoto, who was staring at me wide-eyed.

"Huh? Miura, what do you-" Before I could finish, Miura grabbed my by the arm and pulled me past Orimoto, who continued looking at the two of us with shock and confusion as Miura dragged me away with barely enough reaction time to grab my things. _What…_

_What the hell just happened?_

* * *

I only let go once the two of us were standing outside in the cold. It had gotten dark enough for the street lights to have turned on, but luckily it wasn't snowing. The cool air cleared my head somewhat, and I realized what a scene I must have just made, dragging Hikio out of the restaurant like that.

_I'm never going to eat here again._

For a moment, I wanted to scream, but managed to calm myself down, and after a few deep breaths, I turned to Hikio, who was standing just behind me, still staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

"...What was that all about?" Hikio asked quietly. I wanted to answer with '_I don't know_', but that wouldn't be true. I knew full well why I snapped at Orimoto.

"What do you think? I got fed up with her making fun of you like that. You looked uncomfortable with each mention of something 'funny' from your middle school days, but didn't speak up, so I had to." I replied to Hikio and crossed my arms, while he narrowed his eyes at me.

"I don't need your pity, Miura. I don't know why you feel so strongly about this, but nothing that Orimoto says is going to get to me. So please… Just… don't. You don't need to do anything like that." I clenched my fists and took a step towards Hikio, bringing my face close to his.

"It's not a matter of if I _need _to or not, but rather if I _want _to or not. And I _do _want to." Hikio stared at me in the eyes, his mouth slightly ajar, and his face tinted slightly pink. "I _will_ stand up against anyone who makes fun of you or talks crap about you, because I… I _care _about you, dammit!" Hikio's eyes widened a little, while I glared at him. _God, he's such a dense idiot…_

"...If that was a confession, could you… not have picked some other time for it?" I felt a blush rising to my cheeks at Hikio's words, and grabbed him by the shoulders to push him away while I hung my head low so he couldn't see my face. _How can you say that with a straight face?! Gah, this guy… _Suddenly, a devilish thought entered my head, and without even thinking about it, I had slid to him and brought my face even closer than before, staring deep into his surprised eyes.

"_If you want to interpret it that way, maybe we can make it so._" I whispered and heard Hikio inhaling sharply, before he quickly backed away from me with a blush on his face. _Got him~!_

"...Let's not. I would not like for history to repeat itself due to me misinterpreting something yet again." I raised an eyebrow, confused at first, but it took me less than a second to realize what Hikio meant. _His confession to Orimoto… Hmph, that was her fault anyway, for leading him on. _I tried to gauge Hikio's expression to see what he was feeling, having been reminded yet again of that event, but his deadpan expression was impossible to crack. "Anyway, if your opinion of me truly has changed so much in such little time…" Hikio rubbed the back of his neck as he trailed off.

"You can blame yourself for that, for _doing _so much for me in such little time. You turned out to be so much more than just Yui's weird loner friend." I smiled at Hikio to convey that I didn't mean anything bad with the statement. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: You've done more for me during these past few days than anyone has ever done for me."

"And I still think that's an overstatement. And… you really don't have to go as far for me as you did back there with Orimoto. I can take care of myself." Hikio glanced back at the restaurant doors, and I let out a sigh.

"Well, you'd better get used to it. You're my _friend_ now, Hikio, and I take care of my friends."

"But what we have currently is not friendship, it's a professional relationship between a client and-" I took a step forward again and glared at Hikio. _Why is he so stubborn about such a stupid thing?_

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! You. Are. My. Friend. Got it? And who says 'professional relationships' can't become friendly ones? How about Yukinoshita and Yui? Wasn't that just a 'professional relationship' before you became friends?" I pointed a finger at Hikio's face, and he averted his gaze from me.

"_Friend _is such a strong word, I wouldn't..."

"Only you think that."

"Yukinoshita would likely beg to differ."

"Well, you two are both smart weirdos anyway. Look, the point is, being friends isn't that complicated, and you don't need to be so weird about using the term. We are friends, Hikio, and I will make you admit that, if not now, then in the future." I kept glaring at Hikio, and after a few moments of silence, he let out a sigh. _I feel like I'm being a little hypocritical here… As someone whose main 'friendships' for the past two years have been built on nothing but lies, I probably shouldn't lecture Hikio about friendship… __But I do have Yui, at least, and Hina as well. And… I have had friends in the past, of course…_

"Fine, whatever, I'm not going to argue with you abut this any longer, Miura." Hikio's voice interrupted my thoughts, and luckily so, as some things I had long since locked away nearly began to resurface. As Hikio was about to speak again, his phone vibrated in his pocket, and he took it out.

"Who is it?" I asked, not able to resist my curiosity as to who could have sent Hikio a message. _It's probably just his sister, right? Wait, why do I care anyway?_

"It's from Komachi – for real, this time." I didn't quite understand what Hikio meant with the latter part of his sentence, but didn't press the issue. "...Oh. She's home already." Hikio glanced at his watch, then sighed again. "Well, there goes that plan. I'll have to come up with some excuse..."

"Excuse? Why not just tell her you were out eating with a friend?" I asked from Hikio, and he looked back at me blankly.

"First of all, Komachi knows me well, so she wouldn't even believe something like that coming out of _my _mouth. Secondly, when she realizes I am speaking the truth, she'll question me endlessly about who it was, and will assume that it was either Yukinoshita or Yuigahama, after which she'll go '_Kyaah! My big bro is finally growing up and going on dates with girls! Good luck, Onii-chan! I hope you score big! Hah, cheering on you must have been worth a lot of Komachi points!_' – or something along those lines." I didn't know Hikio's sister personally, but I got the feeling that his impression was quite close. _What the heck are 'Komachi points', though..? _"And if I just so happen to tell her that it was neither of them, but rather _you_, Miura… Well, that is a door I do not want to open. So, in conclusion, making up a believable excuse is a much better option than telling her the truth. Ah, it pains me greatly to lie to my cute little sister, but it has to be done. I hope you can forgive your Onii-chan!" _Uh… What?_

"Are you a siscon or something? That was like, creepy." I took a step back from Hikio, who frowned at me, crossing his arms.

"I am _not _a siscon. Someone without younger siblings could never understand." Hikio replied defiantly, and I let out a little giggle. _Who would have thought being with him could be so enjoyable. _Just then, the wind started to pick up, and I suddenly realized that I hadn't even put on my coat when we stormed out of the restaurant, and shivered. "So, uh… Should we get going then? Do live very far?" Hikio asked from me as I fumbled around with my coat, thankful that I had at least taken my things with me before running out.

"What?" I asked in turn as I looked at him while he put on his own coat. _Why is he asking __me __that? _We both stared at each other for a few moments, before Hikio spoke again.

"I'll… walk you home. It's gotten dark already, and since Komachi is already home, I might as well, given that I have no need to rush home any more." Hikio replied, and I kept staring at him, suddenly feeling my cheeks heating up.

"O-oh, I see. Sorry, I didn't expect you to say that..." I looked away in embarrassment. _I don't think Hayato ever offered to walk me home… Or any guy for that matter… Stop doing these things, Hikio! They're not good for my heart! _"I… don't live too far away. I mean, like, not too far from the school, but from here..."

"So is having common manners really surprising..? Haah… Whatever. I'll just get my bike." All I could do in reply was to nod, and after receiving my confirmation, Hikio walked over to the bike rack. I watched in silence as he unlocked his bike, then walked it over to me. "Lead the way."

I nodded to Hikio again, then began to walk down the street in the direction of my house, with Hikio walking his bike beside me. Under any other circumstances, I would have likely tried to strike up a conversation, but right now, I was unable to come up with anything. I couldn't even look at Hikio, as every time I glanced in his direction, I could feel my heartbeat increasing and had to look away. He was being so nice to me, and yet he didn't even seem to notice it. Walking me home, offering to pay his meal even though it was supposed to be my treat, and not to even mention the whole thing about helping me with my selfish request to rebuild my friendships. If someone had told me last year that the weird loner of the classroom was this much of a gentleman, I would have assumed it was a joke and laughed. But, here we are, just the two of us, walking to my place after eating together at a restaurant. If I didn't know any better, I'd have called it a date. I stole yet another glance at Hikio as he silently walked next to me, letting my gaze linger on his gloved hands, firmly holding onto the handlebar of his bike. _I wonder how warm it would feel to hold those hands…_

…

_Wait, what am I thinking?_

I quickly looked away as I felt my cheeks heating up yet again. _Ugh, what is he doing to me… I only just got rejected by Hayato, so I can't really be falling for another guy so soon, right? Especially not Hikio. Right, I'm just an emotional mess, and I'm clinging to the first person who has shown kindness to me. That's all this is._

…

…

_...Right?_

I peeked at Hikio again, and this time, I froze, as our eyes happened to meet. I stopped in my tracks and turned away from him, covering my face in embarrassment. _What is he doing to me? It's just Hikio. He's just walking you home because that's the polite thing to do. Stop thinking so much! Just ignore the fact that he's the only guy to have ever done something like this for you, and everything will be fine._

"...Miura? Is something wrong?" Hikio's voice caused me to nearly jump, and I took a deep breath before turning to face him again. Hikio had stopped just a couple of steps ahead of me, and was looking back at me with a raised eyebrow.

"N-nothing." I replied quickly and walked past him. "My place is not too far away now." I kept walking, not daring to look back at Hikio, and after a few moments, I could hear the sounds of his bike again as he resumed his own walking.

"Alright. You're not cold, are you? You were looking at my gloves for a little while." _H-he noticed? Damn it, how perceptive can you be? And yet, you're completely clueless as to what your 'common manners' do to a girl… No wonder Yui speaks so highly of you._

"I-I'm fine. I can at least keep my hands in my pockets, but you don't have such luxury." I replied, gesturing to his hands.

"I suppose." Our first conversation ended with Hikio's short reply, and I wasn't sure if I thought that to be a good or a bad thing. _I need to think of something else… __Like…_

_Orimoto Kaori._

What exactly was her deal? She seemed to insist on being a little _too _close with Hikio, considering she has rejected him in the past, and especially since she was literally on a date with another guy. Could she now be the one to fancy him? I'd like to think that she wouldn't have laughed at him so much if that were the case. _Hikio must have been on the receiving end of things like that for a long time… Having to endure laughing and whispers behind his back, all alone… He must be strong for having endured this long. I guess he doesn't really give a damn about what other people think, which helps, but… No-one should have to endure that in the first place._

_Because eventually, even the strongest branches snap._

I don't want to see that happening to Hikio. That's why I spoke my mind to Orimoto. But it wasn't just because she was making fun of Hikio – whether it was on purpose or not – but because of something else as well. Her closeness to Hikio irritated me. I used to feel the same thing whenever another girl was trying to be all chummy with Hayto – _jealousy_. But that had stemmed from my crush on Hayato, so what about Orimoto, then?

_Do I really like Hikio?_

_He's not bad-looking, but I don't think of him in that way… And yet he's making me feel strange with all the things he's doing for me. We've only really properly known each other for… not even a week. Can you really fall for someone in such a short amount of time?_

As I mused over my thoughts, I noticed an all-too familiar building a little ways away from us. I took a deep breath, then exhaled, before stopping and turning to Hikio.

"This… will be enough. My house is just over there." I said as Hikio stopped as well. "I… Thanks, Hikio. For walking me home. This was… very sweet of you." I then continued with a smile, ignoring the heat that was rising to my cheeks again.

"It's nothing, Miura." Hikio replied with a shake of his head, then glanced at his watch. "Well, I guess I'd better head home too. If I turn here, I should be able to quickly nip by the convenience store and make it home pretty quickly..." _Right, his sister is waiting for him at home… Must feel nice to have someone waiting for you…_

"I'll… see you tomorrow at school, then." I said, and Hikio nodded to me.

"Yeah. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

I raised my hand and waved at Hikio as he turned his bike around and began to make his way across the street, briefly glancing back at me before he disappeared behind the buildings. _Is it just me or did it just get a bit colder..? _I shivered a little, then let out a sigh and shook my head, beginning to make my way over to my doorstep. I stopped briefly before heading in, looking up to see a light coming from the second floor. _Looks like they're home… _I took another deep breath and pushed the door open, then closed it behind me as I stepped over the threshold and into the house.

It didn't feel any warmer inside than it had felt outside.

"_Tadaima_." I said, stopping briefly to listen.

No response.

_As expected._

I shook my head in attempt to clear away the oppressing mood, then took off my coat and shoes, placing them in their respective places on the coat hanger and shoe rack. When I turned on the light switch in the entrance hallway, a figure suddenly appeared from around the corner, his disinterested gaze boring through me as I quickly forced a smile for him. _Father_.

"Welcome home, Yumiko."

Perhaps it would have been warmer outside after all.

* * *

**AN: And that's a wrap, folks. A big apology for the delay in this chapter, and thank you all for being so patient with me. Summer vacation is just around the corner, and while I have a lot planned (including another writing project), I should have a lot more time to write. I won't make any promises, but I'll try my best to keep updates a little more frequent than they have been. Just remember that perfection requires time ;)**

**Until next time, I bid you all farewell, and cheerio!**


	8. Chapter 7 - Truth and Honesty

**AN: Hello, dear readers! Summer vacation is here, and I'm already wishing that it was over. I don't like summer. It's bright, and hot, and bug-infested. And it gets you all sweaty. Not like winter. In winter everything is... cool, and dark. I'm sorry. But, my point is, summer sucks. The vacation part is nice, but the season itself not so much. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just sit inside all day playing video games, watching anime and writing, but the god-forsaken mosquitoes make that a living hell. Ah, well. Rant over. I'm sure you're all eager to get back to the story, so let us do just that. Enjoy the chapter, and thank you all again for your continued support!**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Truth and Honesty**

"...That will be it for today. Go have your lunch, and we'll see again next week." A collective sigh of relief could be heard as the teacher finished his lecture and collected his things, while the students packed up their study materials and started to form into groups in preparation for lunch break.

"Aw yeah, fiiiinally!" Tobe stretched as he stood up from his seat, then quickly turned to Hayato. "Come on, let's go to the cafeteria before it gets crowded, Hayato!"

"Relax, Tobe, I'm coming. They're not going to run out of food, so we're not in a hurry." Hayato replied, then turned to look in my direction. "You coming, girls?"

Now being the one directly addressed, I lifted my gaze to meet Hayato's. He was smiling kindly at me, but I knew his smile was not sincere. Being able to see past his mask was both a blessing and a curse, as knowing that I had fallen for his tricks made me angry and disappointed at myself. Before, that smile of his made my heart beat faster, now all it did was remind me of just how fragile my fake friendships were. _All the more reason to change them. _I shifted my gaze to Hina, who gave me a small nod when our eyes met, and I let a small smile onto my face.

"Sorry, but I've got a bento with me today. I need to like, have some _girl time _with Hina as well, you know? Since she was ill and all." I replied to Hayato, and Hina nodded with me, this time to the whole group. _We didn't have much time yesterday, since I had to go and eat with Hikio, but hopefully today we'll be able to make some headway. It would be good to get Hikio and his smarts involved as well, but… _I stole a small glance at Hikio, who was just getting up from his seat, but quickly averted my gaze before he noticed me. _It's okay, Yumiko. You just have to talk to him. That isn't hard, right? _

"...Alright, if you say so, Yumiko." Hayato's voice prompted me to look back at him, and I saw him standing up, with Ooka and Yamato doing the same. "You two don't want anything? A drink?" Hina and I shook out heads, and Hayato gave us a nod, then waved as he began to make his way out of the classroom.

"Always the prince charming, isn't he?" Hina said quietly as she moved a chair to sit opposite of me once the others had exited the classroom, and I let out a sigh. "Though, based on what I know, there's a different _prince _in your life, now." Hina then continued with a smirk as she shifted her gaze to something else, and I followed it to see Hikio lazily making his way out of the classroom, our eyes meeting as he briefly glanced back at the two of us before exiting.

"I-it's nothing like that, Hina!" I could feel my cheeks heating up, and hoped that the blush was not too obvious. _It's normal to be embarrassed about someone implying something like that. Nothing more to it. _"He's just… _helped _me. I… wasn't really supposed to tell you that, but..."

"It's fine, I get it, Yumiko. You did kind of give away his involvement with you to me yesterday anyway." Hina said with a smile. "Is he the one that put you up to all this?"

"No, this is all my doing. I _want _to change things. He just… gave me the _courage _to actually do it. I wouldn't have been able to say all those things to you yesterday if it wasn't for him." I looked away from Hina and twirled a strand of my hair around my finger, my gaze wandering over to the doorway Hikio had exited out of just moments ago. "Oh, and there was something I forgot to tell you yesterday. Something… _urgent_." Hina raised an eyebrow in question, and I glanced around quickly. _Pretty much everyone has left already… _I leaned closer to Hina, which prompted her to lean forwards as well. "..._Back when I confessed to Hayato, I tried to be as discreet as possible, but… It's possible someone saw me when I ran out of the classroom afterwards, and has now spread a rumour about what happened between me and him._" I whispered to the girl.

"_A rumour? I haven't heard anything like that, though I supposed I was absent for the beginning of the week._" Hina whispered back to me and furrowed her brows as she tried to think, likely shifting through her memories of all the things she has heard since returning to school.

"_Hikio seemed to think that it hasn't reached the ears of any girls yet, and that's why it hasn't spread. Hayato has been trying to dispel the rumour any time he's been asked about it, but it doesn't seem like he's been having much luck._" I explained, and Hina gazed downwards, deep in thought. _Since Hina already figured out that Hikio has been helping me, it should be fine if I'm just open to her about everything we've talked about, right? I'll have to apologize to him when I get the chance…_

"..._Boys aren't really much for spreading rumours, so wouldn't it be fine if we just leave it? If so far only Hayato has been asked about it, he should be able to handle himself, right? If we bring too much attention to it, that will only make the rumour worse._" Hina replied to me.

"_I would like to believe he can do that, but… I'm not sure how much faith I can have in Hayat__o__ any more. Besides, Hikio believes that if we don't make sure to get rid of the rumour, it's only a matter of time before it starts spreading._" _Isshiki Iroha already __knows that something is up, and if she finds out that Hayato rejected me… _

"Hmmm… _What do you suggest we do, then?_" _I… guess Hikio's plan is the only one we've got right now… Hopefully we'll be able to make it work with Hina._

"Ah, there you are, Miura!" Just as I was about to explain Hikio's suggested plan to Hina, a voice called out to me from behind, nearly causing me to jump, and I turned around to see Hiratsuka-sensei in the doorway to the classroom, leaning against the door frame. "Looks like I got lucky with my guess of you being here during lunch break… Do you have a few minutes to spare?" I glanced back at Hina, then turned back to the teacher with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I'm kind of like, in the middle of something here… Can it not wait until after?" _I want to get my plan for the rumour sorted out with Hina today, maybe even do something about it, if possible._

"Well… It's kind of important. I won't take much of your time. You can get back to whatever you were doing with plenty of lunch break time left over." Hiratsuka-sensei seemed insistent, so I turned back to Hina.

"Just go, Yumiko. I'll use the time to try to figure out something, alright?" Hina said to me with a smile. I hesitated for a moment, then gave her a nod and stood up from my seat.

"Alright. This better be important, Sensei." I said and walked over to Hiratsuka-sensei, who exited the classroom and motioned for me to follow her.

"Let's get a little privacy, first. I would prefer to talk to you in my office, but since I already went and said that this wouldn't take long, this will have to do." Hiratsuka-sensei briskly walked ahead of me, and I followed her as she turned to the hallway that led to the roof. Once there, she leaned against the wall at the foot of the stairs that lead up and looked back at me.

"Alright, then. What is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked and crossed my arms over my chest. _This had better be important._

"Well… Firstly, since it's been a little while since we last spoke… How have you been doing, Miura? Getting along with your friends? Are… things well _at home_?" Hiratsuka-sensei smiled kindly at me, and I quickly realized what this little 'talk' was about. _Oh, so it's one of _those _sessions. What a great timing. _I resisted the urge to shake my head and sigh, as that would no doubt give Hiratsuka-sensei the wrong idea, instead putting on the most neutral expression I could muster.

"Everything is fine, Hiratsuka-sensei. Nothing has…. c_hanged _since last time. And things at home are… okay." I replied and looked away, unable to stand Hiratsuka-sensei's kind and caring expression any longer. _I'm not in the mood to talk about this stuff. It'll just make me feel all depressed and stuff when I go back to Hina… _"What like, brought this on so suddenly, though? Usually you've dragged me to your office after school whenever you've felt like we've needed to talk." I glanced at Hiratsuka-sensei, seeing her scrutinizing me with her gaze.

"...You don't have to hide things from me, you know that, right, Miura? It's my job as a counsellor to listen to your troubles, and help you with them." I saw Hiratsuka-sensei smiling at me compassionately, and had to avert my gaze again quickly. _I… I know that. Now is just… not a good time. I don't want to be reminded of _everything _right now. _"But, to answer your question… A little birdie told me that something might have happened in your friend group. I saw you were with Ebina just now, but… Are things going okay with the others?" I froze in place at Hiratsuka-sensei's words, slowly turning to look at her, not even bothering with trying to hide my expression. _Someone told Hiratsuka-sensei… __Hikio? No, I would trust him enough to not tell. __So then…_

_Has the rumour actually spread enough for her to have heard about it?_

How else would Hiratsuka-sensei have known about it? Only Hayato, myself and Hikio know what actually happened, and I can't imagine either of them going to a teacher with something like this – even if that teacher was someone like Hiratsuka-sensei. _But, wait… Hayato made that request to Hikio's club… Hikio said that he didn't tell the full truth of what happened, but could one of them have spoken to Hiratsuka-sensei about it? Yui doesn't know what really happened, though, or else she would have talked to me about it already, but Yukinoshita…_

"...Who told you that, Hiratsuka-sensei?" I asked after a while of staying silent, but all I got in response was a shrug.

"That's not what's important, Miura." Hiratsuka-sensei said after I didn't continue. "So, has something happened, then? Something relating to Hayama?" _How… much does she know..? _When I didn't respond, Hiratsuka-sensei sighed and massaged her temple. "Look, Miura, I'm sorry if you feel like I'm digging too deep into your personal relationships, but… I do this because I _care _about you. If something happened to break you guys apart right under my nose, something that I could have helped with, then I've failed as a teacher. You're all my responsibility. But… If it's something that you need to sort out yourselves, then that's fine with me. Just..." Hiratsuka-sensei bit her lip as she looked away from me for the first time during our conversation, but then looked back at me with a compassionate expression. "...I know what you've been through. We've gone over it all multiple times, and I know you don't like revisiting that time. But because I know what you've been through, I _worry _about you. So… talk to me, Miura. If it's something I can help with, I will." Hiratsuka-sensei took a step forwards and placed a hand on my shoulder with a smile, and I could do nothing but stare back at the teacher.

"...Thanks, sensei." I said after a few moments of silence and smiled back at the woman. _She is right, of course. __I shouldn't dismiss her help so easily. __But… It is still concerning that she's somehow found out about what happened. If she didn't hear it because of a rumour, someone must have told her. _"I'll ask you for help, if I ever need it. Right now, though… everything is fine. You don't… have to worry." I tried to reassure Hiratsuka-sensei. _She wouldn't be able to help much with what I'm trying to do… Maybe afterwards there could be something she can do, but not right now._

"Hmmm… Alright, if you say so. I won't keep you any longer, then, so you can go back and have lunch with Ebina." Hiratsuka-sensei smiled and patted me on the shoulder briefly, before pulling her hand back. "Oh, but I do feel like we need to have a longer talk soon. I don't have time today, but I'll give you a nudge at some point next week, so don't make too many plans for after school, alright?" I gave her a reluctant nod in reply. _As much as I want to forget… It helps having someone to talk to. _

"I'll remember that, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'll… head back now, then." Hiratsuka-sensei gave me a nod, and I turned around and began walking back towards the classroom.

Once Hiratsuka-sensei was out of view, I let out a sigh. _I know she's doing all this for me, but all it's really doing right now is bringing back memories I would have been comfortable with forgetting. _I shuddered slightly and picked up my pace to get back to the classroom as quickly as possible. _Come on, Yumiko. You're stronger than this. You don't want to show a face like that to Hina. _Suddenly, I found me feet grinding to a halt. _Hina… Am I being hypocritical? The me from a year ago probably wouldn't have thought so, but now… _I bit my lip as I stood in the hallway, some students giving my odd looks as they passed by, and I took a deep breath before shaking my head to clear my thoughts. _That is an issue for another time. Right now, there are more pressing matters that need attending to. _I continued to stride forwards, seeing the classroom not too far away now. _Eventually, though, m__y _real _friends will deserve to know. _He _deserves to know. _I felt a smile growing on my face as I recalled all my recent interactions with a certain loner, a warm feeling spreading through my chest as I stepped into the classroom, where Hina was still waiting for me. _He's helped me so much, so I'm sure he'll be able to help me with that as well. I've learned a bit about his past, so it's only fair…_

_...That he'd get to learn a bit about mine._

* * *

"...And… send."

After seeing that my text message was successfully sent, I pocketed my phone and continued walking down the hallway to the special-use building. I had walked the same path from the classroom to the Service Club clubroom countless times, but today was the second time in a long while when I had done so alone. Yesterday, it almost felt refreshing to not have Yuigahama with me on the trip, but today I was feeling oddly _melancholic_ walking through the halls with only the sound of a single pair of footsteps reaching my ears. _Haah… __The stubborn part of me that is stuck to my ways doesn't want to admit that Miura was right, that me and Yuigahama are friends, but… I already know what the truth of the matter is.__ At least __things seem to going well for her__, which hopefully means less work for me._

I had seen Ebina and Miura at lunch break, so I assumed that they were discussing the current situation and future of their clique, but as the text I received from Miura just a few minutes ago proved, they had managed to do even more than that.

Miura had admitted that she had told Ebina of my involvement with her plans, but I wasn't too fussed about that – as long as she didn't tell Yuigahama quite yet, things would be fine. But, the more significant part of the text message was what they had decided to do concerning the rumour. The girls had decided to go with a modified version of my plan, and had even set it into motion. Ebina had started to spread a rumour among the girls of Soubu – one that she was apparently certain would spread like wildfire but wouldn't bring any harm to anyone, other than perhaps a "certain someone", depending on how well he handled the situation. I was sceptical about the existence of such a method, but was willing to accept it for now. If the job was done using my method, I couldn't complain.

At the end of her message, Miura told me that she would go visit Yuigahama today and explain everything to her. My reply had been a brief acknowledgement of her plans, and a reminder to not tell Yuigahama of my involvement. _It does feel bad to keep this stuff from the girls in the club, __but soon enough my help will no longer be needed. After that, I can just tell them that Miura had asked me for some advice, if the topic comes up. If she decides to keep up with the whole "friends" thing after that, though… _I let my thoughts wander to the things Miura had said to me yesterday. _She said that she'd make me admit that we were friends… __And she seemed to be rather serious about it. Don't tell me she's going to make me a part of her "new" friend group? No thank you. Then again, the idea of Miura being my _friend…

_It doesn't feel too bad._

I knew Miura a lot better now than I did a week ago, and held some respect for her. And while I wouldn't say I _enjoyed _spending time with her… I didn't hate it. _I guess it wouldn't be that bad if we continued interacting after her request has been solved. __As long as she doesn't drag __m__e __to something like karaoke every day, that is. _Before I had realized it, I was standing outside the door to the clubroom. I couldn't hear any sounds coming from within, but I could already picture the scene in my head. _Right, here we go again. Perhaps today we won't get interrupted, and I'll be able to find out something about Yukinoshita and her thoughts of _me_. _Taking a deep breath, I opened the clubroom door and walked inside.

Just like yesterday, Yukinoshita was reading at her usual spot, and once she noticed me, she lifted her gaze to meet mine. I inwardly let out a sigh of relief, then raised a hand in greeting.

"Yo."

"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita replied with a small smile, and I made my way over to my seat. "It seems it will be just the two of us again today."

"Yes, Yuigahama is still absent. She'll probably be back by next week, though." I replied as I sat down, reaching into my bag to pull out my own book, while Yukinoshita closed hers after putting in a bookmark, placing the book on the table as she stood up and walked over to the side table. _I wonder what she's reading..? The title is in English, __but I can't make it out from that stylized font…_

"We should hope so, at least." Yukinoshita said as she began the process of brewing tea, then turned to look back at me. "Oh, yes, did you manage to do that errand for your sister yesterday?" She then asked, and I lifted my gaze from my novel to meet her eyes. _Hopefully this will be the last time I have to lie to her about this._

"Yeah, it's all sorted out." I replied vaguely, if only to convince myself that I wasn't lying to her. _Komachi was very suspicious when I came home later than usual, but she bought my explanation of having been held up by Hiratsuka-sensei, and then stopping by the store on my way home. I feel like I really should apologize to Hiratsuka-sensei at some point for using her as a crutch for covering up my actions…_

"Her entrance exams should be coming up soon as well, right?" Yukinoshita asked as she turned back to the kettle, and I let my gaze linger on her back for a few moments before returning my attention back to my novel.

"They're… not too far away, now." _I can't actually remember when she has to go and do them… The date probably hasn't changed from when I had to take them, __though. _"She's been studying hard for weeks, so I'm sure my cute little sister will breeze through the exams with no trouble whatsoever!" I smiled to myself as pride for my dear Komachi welled up in my chest. _Soubu High will not be ready for the storm it is about to face! I just have to hope Komachi's cuteness doesn't catch the eyes of too many boys. Hmm… Perhaps I should come up with some countermeasures, just in case…_

"Hmm… While I would like to believe in Komachi-chan's skills, Soubu's entrance exams are no joke. And if your sister struggles with mathematics as much as you do..." I glanced at Yukinoshita to see her gazing out of the window thoughtfully with a hand on her chin, before she suddenly turned and looked me in the eyes. "Perhaps I could offer some assistance for her studies, to make sure she's able to pass the exams? Is Komachi-chan studying at home?"

"Uh, yes, she is. Our parents work late anyway, and she knows I won't bother her while she's studying, so staying at home gives her the best environment for it." I replied, a little surprised at the girl's words. "But… If she needed help, she could just ask me. And she hasn't so far, so..." In response, Yukinoshita pinched the bridge of her nose, and seemed to suppress a sigh.

"If Komachi-chan was struggling with mathematics, do you really think she'd come to you for help?" I averted my gaze from Yukinoshita, unable to refute her. _W-well, it'd be better than no help, right? Or is she suggesting that I'd somehow make things worse for her..? I don't think my math skill__s__ are _that _bad… _"Helping someone else study is no easy feat. It isn't just about explaining to them how something needs to be done, you have to get the other person to figure it out by themselves, otherwise they will never learn it properly. And, just like you won't bother Komachi-chan while she is studying, she will likely not bother _you _with her studies, so I doubt she'd ask for help." _She… does have a point, I can't deny that, but… I would like to believe Komachi would ask me for help if she really needed it. Ah, you wound your brother, Komachi-chan!_

"And you think she'd be fine with _bothering _you, then?" I asked as Yukinoshita turned around to finish her preparations with the tea.

"Since I would be _offering _my assistance, I wouldn't consider it a bother. And I'm sure Komachi-chan would be ecstatic to receive help with her studies from someone such as myself." Yukinoshita replied and turned around to face me again. "Hmm… Yes, perhaps it would be a good idea to visit her to see how well she is doing, and offer help with anything she is struggling with. I should have time today, but Nee-san might get curious about my whereabouts..." Yukinoshita seemed to fall deep into thought as I stared at her, currently overcome with shock at what she had just suggested.

"W-wait, slow down, Yukinoshita." I said and held out a hand, feeling my heartbeat increasing. _Did she… really not realize what she just said? _"Do you… understand what you've just implied?" Yukinoshita tilted her head as she looked at me inquisitively, before she let out a sigh – though I could swear I saw the faintest hint of a smile on her face briefly.

"Yes, I am fully aware that in order to go and help Komachi-chan with her studies for the entrance exams, I would have to visit _your _home. Ara, could it be that you had some questionable thoughts about a girl entering your house, Hiki-pervert-kun? I hope you are aware that I will not hesitate to call the police if you so much as look at me with lecherous eyes. I am also very capable of self-defence, so if you did try anything, it would not end well for you." Yukinoshita released a powerful verbal volley as she returned to her seat and sat down, glancing at me from the side.

"N-no, I would never." I refuted and looked away, feeling my cheeks heating up slightly. _Of course, as I cannot deny the fact that I am love with Yukinoshita Yukino, the idea of her coming to visit my home does make me a bit nervous… But, I would never lay a hand on, or take advantage of her in any way. Yukinoshita surely knows that. _"Just… It might be on a bit of a short notice if you came to help Komachi today." I replied as I turned back to Yukinoshita, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Hmm… I suppose you are correct. Well, perhaps not today, then. I'll just have to be in touch with Komachi to see if we can arrange something, if she needs help, that is." Yukinoshita brought a hand to her chin as she gazed upwards in thought. _Komachi and Yukinoshita being alone together is a scary thought, but at the very least my sister isn't aware of my feelings towards Yukinoshita. Wait… Could I use my sister's curiosity to find out more about Yukinoshita's feelings? I don't really want to resort to spying on them, though… On the other hand, confessing is not an option, __so__… __This is more difficult than I had initially imagined._

I still had no idea in the slightest as to what Yukinoshita really thought of me, whether the chance my feelings had was non-existent or very slim. Of course, I knew she didn't exactly _dislike _my company, despite the fact that her words would suggest otherwise, and that she did in fact feel that I was… _important _to her. Neither of us could call the other our friend, but there was a connection, one that I knew Yukinoshita was aware of. But, these past few days, all I've gotten is more proof of my own feelings towards her. It certainly hasn't aided my plans to have Miura requesting my help, either. Perhaps… She could help me with _my _problem in return?

…

No, let's not do that. I do not want to find out what her reaction would be. But… if things keep going with no progress… I might have to turn to _someone _for help. Hiratsuka-sensei is reliable, but with her history with romance, I don't know how much help she could give. Komachi tries her best, and I know she only thinks of what is the best for me, but… her methods are a bit _too much _for my liking. And Yuigahama… I'm not _completely _dense, I know she values me, so it might be a bit cruel to ask her. Would Miura really be my only good choice, then? Either Totsuka or Kawasaki could be an option, but I'm not sure how much they could help. Heh, look at me, instantly turning to others for help with a personal issue of mine I know can be solved with just a few words from me.

"Here, Hikigaya-kun." I was pulled out of my thoughts by Yukinoshita's voice, and looked up to see her standing next to me, gently placing a cup of tea in front of me. "You haven't turned a page in a while. Is… is there something bothering you, Hikigaya-kun?" Yukinoshita looked at me with concern in her blue eyes, and I felt myself getting lost in them for a few moments. _Yeah, there is. You. _Imagining such a lame line coming from my mouth, I averted my eyes from Yukinoshita, my gaze darting around the room until it landed on the open novel in front of me.

"I… No, sorry, I was just spacing out while thinking." I replied, not looking back at Yukinoshita. _She can totally see through me. It's not like I can just straight up tell her, though. Unless… It is just the two of use here now… No, I need to prepare further. And directly telling her is something I'm saving as the last resort. Things need to be done delicately. _Suddenly, I saw something moving in the way of my vision on the left, and turned to see Yukinoshita sat down on her chair – right next to mine.

"You don't… have to hide your troubles from me, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita said as she settled down, her shoulder nearly bumping into mine as she angled herself to look at me. _What is..? Why is she..? _Up this close, her smell invaded my nostrils and caused my heartbeat to rise. All of a sudden, my body felt very hot. "Er, from _us_, I mean. The club. So, please… If there is anything we can help with, tell us. You should know that you don't have to shoulder things alone any more. Not… not after what happened during christmas."

Yukinoshita's words stabbed at me, but I couldn't look away. The guilt overwhelmed my other feelings momentarily, but I couldn't bring myself to look away from Yukinoshita. _That's… That's what I'm doing right now, right? No, but helping Miura is nothing compared to the christmas event. I've barely done anything, though I guess Miura insists otherwise. Still… I have taken on a request behind the backs of the girls once again. Could this even be something the two of them could help with? Yuigahama, definitely, but… Agh, I had convinced myself that I wasn't doing anything wrong, but now Yukinoshita's making me feel guilty… I should probably just tell her. I have nothing to hide, really, when you think about it. Then again, would just telling Yukinoshita everything betray the trust Miura has put into me? __I should probably ask her first before telling anything to anyone else, she deserves at least that much. _I let out a sigh and looked away from Yukinoshita, knowing that she was aware that something was "bothering" me.

"...Thanks, Yukinoshita. I… I know that, and… I'll remember it." I glanced back at Yukinoshita to see her gazing at me expectantly. _Won't be able to shrug it off, huh? Yuigahama will be in on Miura's scheme today, so afterwards, I can tell both the girls that I've been helping her out. It's not like I've done anything wrong, they'll understand. But, for now… _"And… I guess I have been… _working on _something recently. But it's no big deal, nothing that you two have to worry about. Really." Yukinoshita narrowed her eyes at me slightly, then allowed a small smile onto her face.

"Alright. I just… don't want a repeat of what happened before. Just… be _honest _with us, Hikigaya-kun. That's all I'm asking for." A twinge of guilt flashed through me as I recalled all the white lies I've told her these past few days. _Don't do that, woman! You're making me question the validity of my actions!_

"…I will." I replied, and after noticing a small smile on Yukinoshita's face, returned my gaze to my book. _I'll tell them both on Monday, after I've talked with Miura. Haah… Her request has caused nothing but trouble for me so far… At least I got to eat a free meal. _A few silent moments had passed, and I became aware that Yukinoshita had not moved from her position next to me. Slowly, I turned my gaze back to her and saw the girl awkwardly fiddling with her tea cup, before she suddenly turned to me, her cheeks slightly flushed, the sight causing my own cheeks to heat up as well.

"M-moving on… I-I assume you are still reading that… _isekai _thing from yesterday?" Yukinoshita asked and gestured at my novel, her elbow brushing against my arm in the process. _Alright, Hachiman. You need to calm down. Yes, the person you have romantic feelings towards is sitting _very _close to you, but you need to calm down. __Breathe in, breathe out. Be like water. Like the surface of a lake on a serene day with no wind. Right, here we go._

"Y-yeah, I am." I replied – failing to prevent the stutter despite my best efforts – and quickly flipped the book so the cover was visible. _Though, I haven't really gotten any further since yesterday… _"We… kind of got interrupted as I was telling you about it yesterday." I continued as I scratched my cheek awkwardly, assuming that was where Yukinoshita wanted to steer the conversation towards. _I'm still a little surprised she was so curious about Light Novels when she's openly dismissed them in the past… Heh, maybe this is my chance to convert her. Just watch, in no time she'll be shouting praises for _OreImo _and complaining about the decline of the Isekai genre. Wait, that just sounds like Zaimokuza, though…_

"We… did, didn't we? I... did take some time yesterday to look into the series when I got home, though." I turned back to Yukinoshita, who had paused to take a sip from her cup, and I reached for my own to do the same. "While it wouldn't be something I would read myself, I was pleasantly surprised to see it wasn't more of the same I had encountered before. It seems you were right, not all Light Novels are '_utterly revolting_'." She continued with a small smile as I placed my cup back down. _Hmm… Perhaps she will be open to some recommendations, then? She did say that she hoped we'd get to talk about literature again, and that's what sharing recommendations is… _"Oh, and it did also get me to scour through my bookshelf for some fantasy novels, and while I didn't find much..." Yukinoshita reached for the book she had been reading and brought it close, turning it so I could see a cover. "...I did stumble across an old classic."

"_Dune_?" _I feel like I've heard that name before… Wait, isn't it… _"...That's… That one old Sci-fi novel, isn't it? I think my dad also has it in his bookshelf..." I didn't really know what exactly my dad had in the form of literature – I respected his privacy, after all – but I have a vague memory of seeing the name on one of the books in his shelf during one of the few times I've looked through it for something to read. _I think that one was in Japanese, though, but the copy Yukinoshita has is clearly in English._

"That is correct, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita replied with a smile as she placed the book on the table, letting her hand rest on top of it. "I would have been quite disappointed if you hadn't recognized one of the most well-known science fiction novels of all time. I'll assume I do not have to tell you what it is about, correct?" I nodded in response. _I can't recall ever reading it myself, but I know it's set in the far future in a feudal interstellar society, on a desert planet, which is where the name comes from. _"Good. I bought this copy when I was overseas, and read it to help my English studies. I've read the sequels as well, but there's something special about the first book." Yukinoshita had been looking down at the book, her expression telling me she had been reminiscing about the past, but then turned to look at me again. "I highly recommend it. If your father owns a copy, you should definitely ask him if you could borrow it." _Well… I don't think I even need to ask. I rarely go to his bookshelf, but I've always picked up a book without asking and then returned it. I know he sometimes picks up one of my novels as well, since I know __Komachi isn't the one taking them._

"I'll keep that in mind." Yukinoshita gave me a nod and then lifted her teacup up to her lips again. For a moment, my eyes were glued to them, but I quickly averted my gaze once I felt my cheeks heating up again. _No good, I need to distract myself from her… Though with her sitting so close, that might be difficult. _"_Ahem_, so… Speaking of recommendations… If you want to, I could… recommend some good Light Novels for you." Yukinoshita placed her teacup back down on her right, then looked back at me.

"Go on, then. I am open for recommendations, but I do hope you keep my preferences for _proper _literature in mind." Yukinoshita crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for me to speak. _I guess that means nothing like _OreImo_, then. A shame, since it is actually a good story, I feel. But, something that Yukinoshita might like… _I shifted my gaze to my own tea, gazing into the liquid as I recalled all the various novels I had back at home, and the ones I had read or skimmed through in libraries and bookstores. _Maybe that one..? No, I don't think she'd be able to enjoy it fully, even if it is written really well, given the genre. That one has too much fanservice for a casual reader… __Oh, how did I not think of that first?_

"Have you ever heard of _Ōkami to Kōshinryō_?" Yukinoshita looked upwards in thought for a moment, then shook her head at me. "It's a light fantasy romance novel set in a medieval Europe-esque world with a plot focusing on economics and trading. The main character is a young travelling merchant who meets a mysterious girl with a pair of wolf ears and a matching tail while he is trading wheat in a town called Pasloe. The girl then reveals herself as the town's deity of harvest, though her worship has long since been abandoned, the only reminder of her legend being a yearly harvest festival. The two of them then begin a journey north, as she wishes to return to her homeland." I briefly explained the premise to Yukinoshita, who was listening to me intently. "I've only read the first couple of volumes, and I wouldn't exactly call it my first choice of what to read, but… It's a… _beautiful _story, to say the least. I think you'd enjoy it."

"Hmm… Alright, you've caught my interest. Do you happen to own the first volume, so I could borrow it?" Yukinoshita then asked. _Why is she asking me that so casually? It's not like I'm opposed to it, but… Isn't she embarrassed, or something? Or is it just me? N-not that _I'm_ embarrassed or anything, baka!_

"Oh, umm… Sure, I should have it somewhere. I could… bring it with me on Monday?" I replied, and Yukinoshita brought a hand to her chin briefly, before nodding to me.

"Yes, that would work. Thank you. I shall return it to you as soon as I've read it, and share my thoughts on it. If I find it adequate enough, I might just seek out the rest of the volumes myself." Yukinoshita said with a small smile, and I found myself nodding to her with a smile of my own. _Heh, it's like we've turned into a literature club, now… So, when do we all get superpowers, then? Though, participating in the fairy war sounds like it would be a handful… _"How many volumes does the series consist of?" Yukinoshita's question caused me to look at her again, and I saw her cutely tilting her head as she expected an answer from me.

"A-ah, it's… still ongoing as a series, I believe. The first volume was released… quite a few years ago. It's fairly long-running. But currently… I don't know the exact number, but there's probably well over a dozen volumes by now." Yukinoshita's eyes seemed to widen for a moment, before she looked downwards, seemingly in thought.

"...Quite impressive, though I guess in turn the page counts aren't as grand as some proper novels… It's a very successful and popular series, then, I presume?" Yukinoshita turned her gaze back at me, raising an eyebrow inquisitively. _She's really asking the wrong person, here, as I've only really casually read it… I think it's a fairly well-known series, though._

"It's gotten a fair few prizes, as far as I'm aware, and anyone who is at all invested in Light Novels has heard of it at some point, so… It's fair to say that it is popular. Maybe not as popular as something like _Death Note_, but still popular nonetheless. Though, that one is a Manga, so I guess it's not really fair to compare the two..." I crossed my arms as I tried to think of other popular Light Novels, and noticed Yukinoshita looking at me intently with a smile on her face in the corner of my eye. "W-what is it?" I felt my cheeks heating up again under her gaze, which was not cold like usual, quite the opposite.

"O-oh, nothing." Yukinoshita quickly averted her gaze, as if she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. _W-what's with that reaction? And are you blushing as well? D-don't show me something like that, woman! The gap moe is too much for me! _"I was just… T-this is clearly something you're passionate about, so seeing you talk about it..." Yukinoshita trailed off, her gaze darting around the room, likely unable to find the words she wanted to say. _A-and now she's acting all cute? T-this is not good for my heart!_

"W-well, it's nothing spe-" I raised my left hand in an attempt to rub the back of my neck, which felt sweaty all of a sudden, but midway through, it bumped into something, cutting my sentence off. Freezing in place, I looked down to see the back of my hand currently pressing against Yukinoshita's right palm.

In other words, her hand was on top of mine.

Did her fingers just curl slightly inwards, as if to grasp my hand? Or am I hallucinating due to my blood pressure skyrocketing because of my poor heart overworking itself? I'm not even sure myself.

_Curse you, Gods of romantic comedies!_

I raised my gaze and met Yukinoshita's surprised eyes.. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but she made no moves to avert her gaze or move her hand away. _Okay, Hachiman, calm down. She's just momentarily surprised because you accidentally touched her hand. I'd be surprised too, it's a normal reaction. Now you just need to pull your hand back, and we'll be out of this awkward situation. Then Yukinoshita will scold you for touching her without her permission, and accuse you of taking advantage of her closer-than-usual position. At least, that's what I'm hoping, because if she does anything else other than that, I'll be at a complete loss. _I took a sharp intake of breath and was about to pull my hand away, but the sudden sound of the clubroom door opening caused both me and Yukinoshita to jump in surprise, and I felt her fingers clasping around my hand. _Soft! Warm! Danger!_

"Yahhallo!" As if the situation couldn't get any worse, the one who had burst through the door was none other than Isshiki Iroha – yet again managing to appear when Yukinoshita and I were alone in the clubroom. Didn't I recently monologue about coincidences, and how when one happens enough times, it ceases to be a coincidence? "Ah! W-wait, again? I'm sorry if I interrupted, I'll go now and leave you senpais to it, ahahaa… But I never would have believed you two were doing these kinds of things while Yui-senpai is away..." For a brief moment, I felt Yukinoshita's grip tightening, before she let go of my hand and moved hers away.

"_Ahem_. There seems to be yet another misunderstanding, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita spoke to the younger girl, glancing at me briefly. The remains of a blush could still be seen on her face, but she was much more composed than I was – my rapid heartbeat was proof of that. _Haah… This is getting more and more dangerous. Yukinoshita breaking character definitely doesn't help either. If only she kept to her ice queen persona more, everything would be much easier, but… __Just as I've opened up more t__o__ the girls, Yukinoshita has opened up more to us… _"…I do not know what you are thinking, but we were simply discussing literature together." I shifted my eyes to Yukinoshita, who met my gaze with her own, then returned to look at Isshiki, who was still standing by the door.

"That's right. We were giving each other some recommendations." I followed up after Yukinoshita, managing to keep my voice calm and feeling my heartbeat steadying itself slowly. _A part __of me feels disappointed that Isshiki is here, but I'm also somewhat glad, as being alone with Yukinoshita makes me nervous… Love is scary._

"O-oh, is that so? I was like, totally thinking you two had a secret relationship or something!" Isshiki replied as she closed the door and walked over to us, glancing between Yukinoshita and I. "Why are you two sitting so close together, though?"

"Because it is easier to discuss things this way." Yukinoshita replied and picked up her teacup, bringing it up to her lips for a sip. _Sasuga Yukino-sama. As calm as ever, with no signs of the previous awkwardness. She was definitely embarrassed a few moments ago, but… Is she just better at controlling herself than I am, or was she not even that embarrassed in the first place? Of course, anyone would be embarrassed in that kind of situation, but what if there was something… _more _to it than that..? S__h__e really is an enigma. _

I know a lot about Yukinoshita Yukino, but at the same time, I know _nothing_ about her. And because of that, I don't know how I should act regarding my own feelings. But, I know nothing beyond what could be counted as "the obvious" for us. You cannot calculate emotion, I know that much, as attempting to do so ultimately resulted in my request – my search – for something genuine, something _real_.

But what of the emotions of other people? We cannot know what the people we see are thinking, so how could we ever hope to find out what they are _feeling_? And yet, that is what I am hoping to do. I want to – _need _to – find out what Yukinoshita's feelings are, so I know what to do with my own. Perhaps it is a fool's errand. Even so, I must keep trying, for my own weakness prevents me from doing the obvious, but also perhaps because I want to cherish what I have right now. _The new and unknown. __Many would choose to rather stay on their own placid island of ignorance than to take a leap of faith into the black seas of infinity._

_I am no different._

_And yet I want to dip my toes into the darkness._

_But if I do, will I ever return?_

Is it worth it leaving behind the safety of the island for something not guaranteed? Any sane person would most likely say no. But… Staying behind risks that which we have already faced once: Stagnation. They say ignorance is bliss, but that bliss is a double-edged sword. I know that things must change in order to move forward, but I am afraid of making that change happen. _I wonder…_

_...Is Miura wrestling with these same questions?_

"...That was simply because you surprised me, Isshiki-san. You really should knock before you enter. What are you doing here today anyway?" I was suddenly pulled away from my thoughts as I wondered why I had thought of Miura, and noticed that Isshiki had now taken a seat on the other side of the table, with Yukinoshita still sat next to me. _I guess our circumstances are somewhat similar… Well, fundamentally, our situations are completely different, but they evoke the same kinds of problems. Still… Why did she come to my mind so suddenly?_

"Oh, the Student Council didn't have a meeting today, and the soccer club can manage without me, so I came here instead." Isshiki replied to Yukinoshita, and I glanced down at my tea. _Well, I can think of all this a different time. With Isshiki here, I have very little chances to find out anything about Yukinoshita's feelings anyway._

"So you're just blatantly slacking off, then?" I asked as I brought the cup to my lips, noticing Isshiki pouting at me.

"That's mean, Senpai! I'm not slacking off. I need a bit of time to relax too, you knooooooow?" _Uh, that's literally what slacking off is, though. It restores half of your maximum Hit Points when used, as well. _"Oh, but like, you were recommending books to each other or something, right? Do you have any recommendations for me?" Isshiki glanced between Yukinoshita and I excitedly as she leaned forwards on the table.

"I didn't take you for someone to enjoy literature, Isshiki-san." Yukinoshita said, and Isshiki let out a small sigh.

"Well, like, I'm not really _that _into reading or stuff, but I figured that it's cute when a girl is reading something, right? What do you think Hayama-senpai likes to read?" Isshiki locked gazes with me, and I furrowed my brows. _Why are you looking at me? How should I know what he likes, or if he even reads at all. Also, you just like, totally gave away your true intentions by saying that, you knoooooow?_

"Hmmm… I wouldn't know about that, but… I guess I could think of a few books that will be easy for someone who doesn't read as much..." Yukinoshita looked upwards in thought as she brought a hand to her chin, and I rested my head on my right palm as I leaned away from her slightly. _Well, at least Isshiki's appearance helped us get out of that awkward situation… But it will be pretty much impossible now to try and find out anything. __Guess I'll just sit back and keep my eye out for things._

With Isshiki now present, Yukinoshita and I couldn't really get back into our "book talk", though she didn't move her seat back to its original position. Her close proximity made me overly conscious of her, so I couldn't make use of my _Zone Out _skill and just read, but it seemed that Isshiki wouldn't let me do that anyway, as due to Yuigahama's absence, she pulled me into conversation far more than usual. At the very least, it helped me with not being overly aware of Yukinoshita constantly, though I also couldn't quite concentrate on my reading because of her. I did notice something peculiar about Isshiki, though, as if there was something off about her. Sometimes her conversation felt stiff, and she seemed to get lost in thought every now and then. She also kept glancing at me when she thought I wouldn't notice, and I got the feeling she wanted to say something to me, but never spoke up directly. At first I figured it was because she wanted our – or just my – help for something, but she made it very clear that this was simply a social visit, and that everything was going well with the student council. With my plate full of my own problems with Yukinoshita, and Miura's request, I didn't really feel like I was in a position to help Isshiki with whatever was clearly troubling her, but I couldn't help being curious. I didn't know whether or not Yukinoshita noticed the same things about Isshiki that I did, but if she did, she didn't comment on the subject, so I kept quiet as well. Whatever Isshiki had on her mind, she didn't want to share with us.

Isshiki's troubles didn't seem to affect her too much, as she kept the conversation going, asking us about Hayama's request and the rumour he had mentioned a couple of times, but we told her no details, just what we had told her already. Judging by her still asking about it, though, I got the feeling that either Ebina's plan hadn't worked out as well as she had thought, or then the rumour she planted had yet to reach the ears of the first-years. I was just now getting sceptical about her plan, as the rumour might not survive through the weekend, at which point they only had to hope the rumour about Miura faced the same fate. Things not going as planned would likely lead to more work for me, but there was nothing I could do about it right now.

Soon enough, it was getting close to club hours ending, and just before they did, Hiratsuka-sensei came to us in the clubroom, While initially she was surprised to see Isshiki with us, even giving her a bit of scolding – which I do not admit taking pleasure in seeing – she let her off the hook just this once. Interestingly, she made no comment about mine and Yukinoshita's seating arrangement, which had not changed since she initially moved to sit next to me, and instead just told us to go and start our weekend, offering to lock up behind us. We saw no reason to refuse, and packed our things (or, in the case of Isshiki, head back to pick up her things) before heading out and leaving Hiratsuka-sensei muttering to herself about her evening plans, which seemed to include drinking, then going to a bar for some more drinks, before returning home to have a drink to wash down the sadness of having to drink alone. Please, someone just take her already, I can't stand hearing my precious teacher being so miserable!

Yukinoshita and I ended up walking together through the halls, which were mostly empty as we had left just a little before club activities had actually ended. The silence between us could have been interpreted as awkward by some, but to us, it was comfortable. Even with my feelings towards her, I was able to feel at ease when I was with her like this, and I could tell even Yukinoshita was relaxed. _If… If I do by some slim chance change things, will something like this become the norm..? It doesn't feel too bad… No, I can't get ahead of myself. _I glanced at the girl walking next to me, suddenly feeling overly conscious of her again, despite her not being that close to me. _I might need to resort to asking someone __else for help regarding this… Or ask for some advice, as apart from observing her, I have no idea how I could find out anything about Yukinoshita's feelings._

…

_Well, there is one obvious way of doing it, but I don't want to. Confessing is out of the question._

"I… guess this is where we part ways, then." Yukinoshita suddenly spoke out, and I realized that we were already outside, the two of us currently standing in front of the bike racks. Yukinoshita had stopped in her tracks, but took a few steps forwards and turned back to look at me, her grip on her bag tightening. "I really… enjoyed today as well. I'm looking forward to being able to read your recommendation."

"O-oh, sure. I… I enjoyed it too… I guess." I looked away from Yukinoshita and brought a hand up to rub the back of my neck. "I'll… see you on Monday, then."

"Yes… See you then, Hikigaya-kun." Yukinoshita smiled at me, then, after a few moments, turned around and started making her way to the gates. I let my gaze linger on her until she reached the gate, at which point she stopped, turned around, and upon seeing me still looking at her, raised her hand for a wave. I smiled to myself and raised a hand in return, then watched as Yukinoshita walked off, disappearing from sight. _Right, guess I'll just head straight home, now. Not like I have anywhere I need to go. Hmm… I could see about contacting Miura, though, to ask how things went with Yuigaham__a__. Though, if she had already finished with her, she would have likely sent me a message already…_

"Senpai!" I was pulled out of my thoughts by a familiar voice coming from behind me, and I turned to see Isshiki Iroha running up to me. "Ah, good, you were still here. I'm glad." She continued as she stopped in front of me, panting slightly. Knowing what was coming next, I prepared myself for her usual routine, but the girl simply stood there catching her breath for a few moments, before raising her gaze to look at me. "There was… something I wanted to… ask from you." I raised an eyebrow in question at Isshiki's words. _What's gotten into you now? And why are you fidgeting that much? It's not cute. Well, I mean, it is kind of cute, but you won't get anything out of me by doing that._

"Hm? Go on, then. Oh, but if you're going to ask me for help, I'm sorry, but I kind of have something going on at the moment, and I would prefer it if you asked the whole club." In response, Isshiki shook her head at me.

"No, it's nothing like that. Just..." Isshiki bit her lip, and I saw that she was shaking slightly. _Hey… What's going on..? _"I just… wanted to ask..." Isshiki glanced around rapidly, which prompted me to look around as well. Despite club hours just ending, there wasn't really anyone around, likely due to everyone rushing home as quickly as they could, or people leaving early – it was a Friday, after all. When I looked back at Isshiki, I was shocked to see the corners of her eyes glistening, as if she were about to _cry_. "I… Just… Senpai..."

"_...Do you… like Yukino-senpai?"_

* * *

"Oh, if it isn't Yumiko-chan! Did you come here to see Yui? Come in, come in!"

As I was ushered in by Yui's mother, I took a deep breath to calm myself. _It's alright. You've got this, Yumiko._

After planning some more with Hina after school, I had told Hikio of our plans and headed straight for Yui's place. The whole way there, I had gone through multiple scenarios in my head of what could happen when I told Yui about everything, and I was sure I had envisioned every single one of her possible reactions. Even so, I was feeling nervous. I wanted to believe that Yui would agree to help me, and perhaps deep down I knew she was going to, but a part of me kept saying otherwise.

_What if she doesn't?_

_What if Yui wants to go her own separate way after graduation?_

I had always thought of Yui as a good friend, and now I thought of her as one of my only possible "real" friends, but the pessimistic part of me I thought I had locked away long ago kept gnawing at me. _Ugh, this won't do, Yumiko. Hina believes and trusts in you. Hikio thinks everything will go okay, and he's… he's… Hikio. Do you really want to betray their expectations? No, you don't. You'll crush those expectations and come out triumphant!_

"_Bark!_" I was pulled out of my thoughts when Yui's dog, Sablé, jumped at me as I was taking off my shoes, beginning to excitedly lick my hands while his tail swished back and forth.

"Hey, Sablé, long time no see." I said to the little dachshund and started to pet it, which seemed to only further his excitement as he continued attempting to climb up my knees.

"Oh, dear me. Sorry about that, Yumiko-chan. Come here, Sablé, don't jump on the guest." Yuigahama's mother scolded the dog, who simply ignored her, instead choosing to run around my ankles.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." I said to Yui's mother with a smile, running my hand over Sablé's fur. _I wish I could have a pet, too… _Suddenly, Sablé stopped and tilted his head as he looked at me with his button-like eyes, and I realized that I had stopped petting him. _Ah, no good. I can't be getting gloomy now. _I shook my head to clear my thoughts, gave Sablé a few scratches behind the ear, then stood up. "Is Yui in her room?" I asked from my friend's mother, to whom Sablé ran to after finishing two laps around my ankles.

"Yes, she is. Been in bed the whole day, the poor girl. Do you want to me bring you something to drink?" I shook my head, and Yui's mother nodded to me in return, before she disappeared around a corner to where I knew the kitchen was. _Right, here we go, then._

I had been to Yui's house multiple times in the past, so it only took a moment for me to find her room. The door was closed, and no sounds could be heard from the inside, but I hesitated for a moment before I knocked on the door. _There's no turning back now. Let's do this._

"Yui? Are you awake? It's me, Yumiko." I said as I knocked on the door, then, hearing some shuffling from the other side, I stepped back before the door opened.

"Ah, Yumiko! You came to see me!" Yui said to me with a sparkle in her eyes. It wasn't enough to mask away her illness, though, as her flushed face and slightly raspy voice made it clear, not to even mention her general dishevelled appearance. "Come in. Oh, but be careful, I don't want to make you sick too, ahahaa..." Yuigahama moved out of my way, and I stepped inside of her room, which hadn't changed from the last time I had seen it.

"How are you feeling?" I asked after Yui had closed the door and made her way back to her bed, where she sat down.

"I think I'm feeling a bit better, now. It's nothing too bad, so I'll be back in school by Monday. How is Hina doing?" I placed my bag on the floor next to the table in the centre of the room, then sat down next to it.

"She's made a full recovery. This is probably just like, the seasonal flu or something." I replied, and Yui leaned against a particularly large stuffed toy on her bed.

"Yeah, that's probably right. I do miss all of you guys, though… Oh, I know! How about we all go somewhere together on Monday?" Yui proposed excitedly, and I felt a small smile growing on my face. _This girl…_

"What about like, your club?" Yui's eyes widened suddenly, as if she hadn't thought of that, before her brows furrowed.

"Hmm… I-it should be fine! I can ask Yukinon to let me leave early. But then, I wouldn't get to spend that much time with her and Hikki, and I miss them too…" Yui's face scrunched up as she agonized over her choices, and I watched her with slight amusement. _Oh, Yui… Right, I think it's time to do what I came here for._

"_Ahem_. We can discuss that later, Yui." The girl looked back at me, and looked like she was about to say something, but stopped, likely due to seeing my serious expression. "Right now, there's… There's something we need to talk about." Yui looked at me in silence for a few moments, then smiled at me.

"Of course, Yumiko!" Yui replied cheerfully, leaning closer to me on the bed, but her smile seemed to fade away as I kept staring at her with the most serious expression I could muster.

"Yui. This is… something very important. I want you to be fully serious about this." I stared the girl directly in the eyes, until she gave me a nod. "This… concerns… _us_. I mean, all of us. In the clique." I paused to take a deep breath while Yui continued to stare at me intently. "You know about it, don't you? How… _fragile _our clique is. How _shallow _our friendships are. And how Hayato keeps to the status quo so that things stay the way they are, unchanging. You're… You're aware of it all, right?" Yui stared at me wide-eyed, her mouth slightly ajar, and I stared right back at her. _I know Yui is more perceptive than she lets on. She _is _an airhead, but she catches on things easily. She's not like Ebina, but I'm certain that she must know what's been going on with our clique. She's friends with Hikio, so she must know. _After some time, Yui looked away and bit her lip, and I saw her hands balling up into fists.

"I..." Yui began, her gaze flitting around the room, never quite meeting mine. "What… Why now? Aren't… Things going well for us all..? Didn't you… want things to stay this way, Yumiko?" I grit my teeth, but took another deep breath and let out an audible sigh to calm myself.

"Hayato came to your club with a request on Monday." Yui's surprise was clear on her face, but she didn't say anything. _I'm sorry, Hikio… This might be a bit close to revealing that you've helped me, but as long as I don't mention your name, things should be fine. _"He asked you to deal with a rumour about him and me, right?" Yui nodded quickly to me, so I continued. "He… He did that because of what happened between us. I… I confessed to him, Yui. And he rejected me, albeit indirectly. Do you know why I did that?" Yui's eyes seemed widen even further, and I noticed that my hands had balled up into fists, and my heartbeat had become more rapid. _It's okay, Yumiko. You've gotten over it. _Yui didn't answer me, seemingly at a complete loss for words, so I breathed in shakily to calm myself once again and continued. "It's because I _don't _want things to stay the way they are, Yui. Not any more. I… I admit, I was a little… _desperate _when I did it, hoping that there was a chance, but… The situation is as I feared. Our clique… It's going to fall apart. It's eventual. But Hayato doesn't care – that's exactly what he wants. He isn't being honest with us, Yui. Did you know that? He lies to us about himself, he wears a mask to hide his true self from us. He's… He's _used _us, used _me_ for almost two years, now. Things need to change, and I want to be the one to change them. Do you… Do you understand me, Yui?" My hands were shaking as I stared the girl in the eyes, and she looked down with an expression I couldn't read.

"I… I sometimes feel like… I'm always the one carrying the most weight on my back out of anyone." Yui finally spoke again, still not looking me directly in the eyes. "But… what I'm carrying feels like a bunch of ceramic vases. The moment I slip, they'll all break. And I… though that was fine. That was… my role, given to me by you and Hayato." Yui sheepishly glanced at me, letting her gaze stay on me for a few moments. _Yui was always the mediator of our group. Her cheerfulness got us out of tough situations __that threatened the fragility of our clique__. Damn it, Hayato has been just using her too… Though… I guess I'm not completely innocent in that regard either… _"Joining the club, and talking with Hikki and Yukinon… it's gotten me to understand some things better. But I always still thought that I… _valued _our clique. It's always been great to hang out with you guys, and even if… even if I can't always speak my mind..." Yui trailed off and bit her lip, then looked back at me. "Aren't things… fine this way? Even if… things might be like you say, we're all still having fun, right? Isn't it fine for everyone to get along with each other?"

"No, it's not fine!" I slammed a fist on the table next to me, surprising both myself and Yui, who visibly jumped back. "What we have… It's not fine. It's not _real_. Hayato isn't real, and the clique isn't real. I've seen our clique for what it truly is, now, and the same goes for Hayato. Things _can't _keep being like this. What will happen when we graduate? Hayato will go to like, some special university for rich people or whatever, and the rest of us will scatter like leaves in the wind and never see each other again. Hayato is only keeping the status quo intact because he doesn't want our _fake _friendships to break down prematurely. But that's not '_fine_'. I don't… I don't want that, dammit! I don't want to lose you all and be alone… _again_." My vision got hazy, and I wiped the corners of my eyes, not even caring that I was letting out all my emotions again. "I don't want to lose you guys, but I know that letting things continue like this will only guarantee that. That's why I want to change things. I don't want any more superficial relationships. I want…"

"..._I want something real. Something genuine._"

By the time I had finished with my emotional outburst, I was gasping and shaking. I hadn't planned on going so far with Yui, but her words had ticked me off. _I know that Yui has always abided the status quo, but I also know she wouldn't want for us to get separated. She's the type who would try to keep in contact with all of us even after graduation, but without Hayato, without ever becoming _real _friends… It wouldn't be the same. But if we change things now, before it's too late… If we all became honest with each other… _Yui was staring at me with a completely dumbfounded expression, and slowly, I started to see tears form in her eyes.

"Yumiko..." Yui said quietly as she began sobbing, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "Saying that line… It's not fair..." I didn't really get what Yui meant, but her crying didn't seem to stop. After what felt like a minute, Yui seemed to regain control of herself, and she looked me in the eyes again, hers now reddened from crying. "So… How are you going to change things? You said that… Hayato rejected you..."

"...Yes. I had wished that there was still hope, but…" I remembered Hikio's words, and how he believed that there was no hope for Hayato ever opening up to us. _I'll… I'll have to at least try. But if he doesn't want to be honest with us… Then that's that. _"...I want everyone to be more open with each other. What we have… what we're doing… None of it is genuine. Can we truly say that we know each other well? We all keep things from each other, and any threat to the stability of our clique is enough to break us apart. That's… That's not real friendship. Our bonds are shallow, and they're only there because of Hayato. If he decided to one day leave us, that would be it. We'd drift apart and never talk to each other again. But, we can change that." I looked at Yui with my most serious expression. "Hina is already with me. She's willing to open up to us, if we do the same. Hayato will oppose us, but we need to get everyone on our side, willing to start being honest, so we can replace our shallow bonds with genuine ones. And if that can't change Hayato, if he still won't take off his mask… Then we'll just have to leave him. So… Are you going to help me, Yui?" I stared the girl dead in the eye, and after a few seconds, she looked away, then let out a sigh.

"I-I don't know much about that… _real _or _genuine_ you talk about, but… I don't… I don't want to lose you either, Yumiko. Or anyone, for that matter." Tears formed in the corners of Yui's eyes again, but she wiped them away quickly, then took a deep breath. "I-I'll do it, Yumiko. I'll change things with you." I felt a wave of relief wash over me, and smiled at Yui, but my smile disappeared once I saw her serious face. "But… If we're going to be honest with each other from now on… I need to get something off my chest."

"Huh? S-sure, of course." I didn't really know what to expect, but readied myself as Yui took another deep breath.

"I'm… I'm tired of shouldering everything on my own! Any time there was anything wrong, I was always the one to smooth things out, to make everyone comfortable and happy. But it takes a lot of energy to always be all smiles and please everyone! I'm tired of having to adjust to what others think, and having to hide what I truly feel like because everyone else feels something different! I want to voice my own opinion for once, instead of just going along with everyone else! I want to… I want to just _be myself_, instead of what others want me to be!" I stared blankly at Yui as she let everything out. _All… this time… Yui has been feeling this way..? I'm… I'm so sorry… If only I had realized the truth sooner… I could have noticed all this as well… _"Haah… I'm sorry, Yumiko, for shouting at you, but… I feel much better now." I looked back up as Yui flopped down onto her bed, then adjusted herself so she was lying on her side, looking at me. "I don't… usually get this heated up, ahahaa… I guess just… I could feel all your emotions, and then just kinda..."

"Don't be sorry, Yui. _I _should be the one saying that." I replied with a smile, which Yui returned to me. "But… I can promise you, you'll get to… _be yourself_. We won't have to hide things any more. Friendship isn't about keeping things secret and appealing to others, it's… It's mutual trust and honesty." _...I think. That's something I've read somewhere, I think? But… it sounds good. _"...I'm not the best person when it comes to that, but… If we're all honest with each other, and trust each other, I'm sure things will work out."

"Yeah, I'll do my best, Yumiko! Though… You really kinda sounded a bit like Hikki, there… I've always envied his honesty..." Yui said and turned onto her stomach, kicking her feet lazily.

"O-oh, d-did I? Haha, that's… funny." I averted my gaze from Yui. _I promised Hikio I wouldn't tell her about him, and I won't betray him. Mutual honesty and trust… I guess… we definitely have that between us._

"Well, just a little, with the whole… _genuine_ thing..." Yui trailed off, her gaze not quite focused on anything. "...Yeah, I really envy Hikki. Both him and Yukinon just say whatever they want, without caring what other people might think. And they always seem to be in their own little world. I find it hard to strike up conversation sometimes, but when they talk with each other… everything just comes out so naturally, and it's difficult for anyone else to join in. Yeah, I really envy… them..." Yui's expression became melancholic, her feet stopping. _That's… right. Yui, she… She likes Hikio, I'm pretty sure. I never really understood what she saw in him, but… _As I rapidly recalled all of my recent interactions with Hikio, I felt a slight blush rising to my cheeks.

"...Hey, Yui." Yui focused her gaze on me, but our eyes met for only a brief moment before I looked away, beginning to twirl a strand of my hair around my index finger. "You… You _like _Hikio, don't you?" I saw Yui's face exploding into crimson, and she brought her hands to cover it. "What… What do you like about him? Like… What's so… _special_ about him?" I felt my own blush deepening, and couldn't look Yui in the eye, but saw her moving her hands away in the corner of my eye. _I-I can't believe I'm asking this… It's n-not like I… O-or anything…_

"Eh? W-what do I..? W-well… He's… like… really kind, and helpful, though he'd probably never admit that. Hikki is… reliable, and he puts his all into helping others, even going so far as to sacrificing himself… W-which isn't really that good all the time, but he's sort of promised to stop doing it now… And… Like… Umm..." _...He's funny, and gentlemanly, and handsome, and kind of cute when he's embarrassed. _I felt a smile growing on my face, and looked back at Yui, who was still trying to come up with good qualities about Hikio that she liked. _I… I don't think I can keep lying to myself much longer. I'll just have to accept it. I'm sorry, Yui…_

_...I think I might have fallen in love with your crush._

* * *

**AN: And that's a wrap, folks! A bit of a longer chapter this time, to make up for it taking so long for me to finish this. The next chapter I have mostly planned out already, so it shouldn't take too long for it to come out, but I will most likely start one of my other planned writing projects before I start working on it, so we shall see.**

**The plot thickens, as they say, and things start to click into place with each move made. But, there is still more to come, and it will be a long time before this game of chess ends. That was a cool line, right? It was in my head, at least. In any case, I bid you all farewell, until the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 8 - The Queens Advance

**AN: Hello again and welcome back, everyone! I always knew that this story was going to be long (and not just because I take ages with updates – sorry this one took so long!), but only now has it really dawned on me that this is going to be a very long ride. A part of me doesn't like the slow pacing in my stories I often end up with, but I don't like rushing things either. I do have some things planned out, so the story should really start to take off soon – those of you who enjoy the yandere aspects will get what they signed up for in the near future ;)**

**Thank you all for the reviews you've left me – your support means a lot to me. And, without any further ado, let's get this chapter underway – I'm sure you've all been eagerly awaiting it!**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Queens Advance**

Crowds.

If I had to rank the top ten things that I despise the most in this world, large crowds of people would be very close to a top spot on that list, nestled somewhere between _riajuus_ and subpar adaptations of my favourite novels. I mean, how can you mess up a character's arc _so _badly, or leave out such an important part of the story to cut costs? Maybe then you wouldn't have had to have those filler episodes that served no purpose. What was I monologuing about again? Ah, yes.

_Crowds._

Everyone knows that there is strength in numbers. Thus, forming packs with other members of your species is understandable – and in many cases, _necessary –_ in terms of survival. But the crowds that we humans form in public spaces are a demented perversion of this natural survival method. There is no structure, no order, just pure _chaos_. The strong point of forming a pack is that every member works together, but crowds of humans are the exact opposite: everyone only thinks of themselves. Sure, the people around you might be total strangers, but it's still common decency to watch out and think of other people when you're trying to get somewhere – everyone else is trying to get somewhere as well, after all. The Japanese are fairly good at this (and dare I say that the Chibanese are _exceptionally _good – just one more reason why Chiba is the best place in the world!), but as I have proved based on my observations in the past fifteen minutes, there is still work to be done. And, my loner lifestyle has once again been proven to be the best possible one, as standing on the sidelines means I do not bother anyone by getting in their way, and neither does anyone accidentally bump into me. It's a win-win situation.

Still, it would be better if I didn't need to be in this situation in the first place, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem like I have a choice.

I let out a sigh and pulled out my phone, noting that the person I was supposed to be waiting for was now just over ten minutes late. _Why the hell does Miura want to meet up with me on a S__unday__ anyway… She said to me in the phone call that she wanted to talk about her and Ebina's plans, but couldn't we have done that over the phone..? Well, I guess this does save me from the endless questions from Komachi regarding the matter __had she overheard__, but I'll probably be subjected to those anyway when I get home, if the strange look she gave me when I woke up this early on the weekend was any indication… _I stifled the incoming sigh and pocketed my phone, placing my hands in my pockets as I leaned against the pillar behind me, looking up to the cloudy sky past the eaves of the roof of the station. _Well, at least I don't have to do this in the summer… The crowds would be even worse, and don't even get me started on the heat._

Letting my gaze drop back down, I began to absent-mindedly scan the crowds of people that passed by, going to and from the station just behind me, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde hair of the girl I was waiting on, but to no avail. Just as I was contemplating on sending Miura a message questioning her lateness, I noticed a head of light-brown hair peek through the crowds, before a short girl – the owner of said hair – ran out, and I momentarily froze in place. Quickly, though, I realized the girl was not who I had initially thought they were, as her blue eyes looked past me without paying any attention to my existence, before she ran off to a group of other girls off to the side. Inwardly, I let out a sigh of relief and lifted my gaze up to the clouds again. _Isshiki, huh…_

My brows furrowed as I recalled the events that had transpired on Friday.

* * *

"_What… did you just say..?" I must have misheard her. _

_The girl in front of me was looking up at me with a pleading expression, her hands slightly trembling, though I somehow guessed it wasn't because of the cold._

"_You… heard me." She said after a few moments of silence, briefly averting her gaze before meeting my eyes again with her honey-coloured ones. "Do you… like Yukino-senpai?" Hearing it for the second time, I was now sure I didn't mishear – and that fact concerned me greatly._

"_...What kind of question is that?" I asked in turn and glanced to the side, though I didn't keep my gaze averted for long. "Where is this coming from anyway, all of a sudden like this?" Isshiki looked down at the ground for a moment and bit her lip, then opened her mouth, but closed it after a second or two without having said anything, before finally looking back up at me._

"_I..." Isshiki's voice was quiet, almost inaudible, but she seemed to steel herself and spoke out in a clearer tone. "...I saw you… acting differently with her. I mean… you two seem closer, now, or something, and… I felt like… there was something different about you when you two spoke… Am I… am I wrong..?" This… this is bad._

_If Isshiki has noticed that something has changed about the way I interact with Yukinoshita…_

_Has it been that obvious? No, that can't be the case. Certainly, there are some things I cannot avoid, but I have managed to mask my feelings expertly, I feel. But Isshiki…_

_I let my gaze scan over the girl in front of me. I had never seen Isshiki like this, but I knew for certain she wasn't just toying with me. She really had noticed that something about me had changed, and had come to an assumption about what might have caused that change._

"_...Well..." Isshiki jumped a little as I spoke again, then focused her gaze on me intently. "I don't know about being closer… Yuigahama hasn't been present, and we just kind of started talking about literature in her absence, before you interrupted us, that is." Both today and yesterday, in fact. "I… don't know how you would come to that kind of conclusion, though." I was doing my best to keep my cool in front of Isshiki. The fact that she was even asking this from me meant that she wasn't sure whether it was true or not, and I very much want to keep the truth regarding the question to myself. _

"_..." Isshiki stared at me in silence, the atmosphere starting to feel both tense and awkward at the same time, until she finally lowered her gaze. As she looked down, her bangs covered her face, concealing her expression from me, but I could see her hands trembling again. Isshiki had been acting odd the entire time, and I still couldn't understand why. Did this question really trouble her that much? "...I see. So that's how it is." Isshiki spoke in a low tone, as if to herself, still keeping her gaze directed downwards. What did she mean by that?_

_We both stood still in an awkward silence for a few seconds, before Isshiki suddenly raised her head again, locking eyes with me for a moment, before dashing past me._

"_S-sorry that I asked something so weird, I'll be going now, Senpai." Isshiki said as she ran past me, leaving me dumbfounded. A part of me wanted to reach out or call her name to stop her, but the look that I had seen on her face, the emotion I had seen in her eyes, prevented me from doing so._

_She had smiled at me, but it wasn't like any kind of smile I had seen from Isshiki before. It wasn't a cheeky grin, nor a sly smirk, nor the elusive genuine smiles I had sometimes seen. It most resembled the fake smiles she put on far too often, but even then, there was something wrong about it. _

_It was an empty, fake smile, but different from the ones I was used to seeing._

_She didn't use it for appeal, but rather to hide something. _

_And in the brief moment that our eyes had met, I had caught a glimpse of the emotion she had tried to conceal._

_Sorrow._

* * *

Isshiki's question and odd behaviour had been on the forefront of my mind for the rest of the evening, and even after allocating some of my precious time on Saturday to the issue, I had yet to reach a conclusion as to _why _she had acted the way she did. _I can kind of get why Isshiki would be curious about something like that – if only because it meant she could blackmail me to work as her pack mule, or that she could report me to the authorities – but the way she acted and her reaction were completely different from the Isshiki I know. And that look on her face when she left me… The only other time I've seen anything like it on Isshiki…_

_...Was back when Hayama rejected her._

But, precisely due to _that_ reason, I cannot understand her reaction. Isshiki said she wasn't going to give up on Hayama just because of one setback, so clearly she still has her eyes on him. Why would she care so much for any possible feelings _I _have? And, I am still unsure whether Isshiki somehow knows of my feelings towards Yukinoshita or not. I had avoided the question and masked the truth to the best of my ability, but I couldn't ignore the possibility that she had somehow gotten the answer to her own question.

I had gone over everything in my head multiple times already, but the amount of possible reasons for Isshiki's strange behaviour only increased the more I had thought about it – each one seeming as implausible as the last, yet still possible if I certain assumptions were made. All I knew for sure was that Isshiki had noticed something different about me while I interacted with Yukinoshita, made an assumption based on her observation (which was correct, but she doesn't know that for sure), and for whatever reason, the conclusion she had come to caused her some level of distress, which was visible when she asked me about the subject. And when I answered her (or rather, avoided answering her), she had once again noticed – or perhaps realized – something, which pained her, but which she tried to hide from me. _Normally I wouldn't care much about something like this, but… Isshiki was acting way too weird on Friday for me to ignore it. I can only blame my Onii-chan instincts for it, but… She is someone closer to me than most people. Well, the conclusion I came to after mulling it all over yesterday was that this was not something I could solve with the information I have available to me right now. __There are far too many variables, with her knowing or not knowing the truth of my feelings changing those.__ I'll __just__ have to see what happens when I next meet Isshiki, __but..._

"Hikio!" A sudden shout pulled me back to reality, and I looked towards the source of the voice to see a familiar face approaching me. "Sorry that we're late, I took a bit longer in like, the shower and stuff before I left, and we missed the train that we were supposed to take." The blonde stopped just in front of me, adjusting her scarf as she did, and I found my gaze unconsciously wandering over her form. Aside from her black scarf, she was wearing a stylish-looking red winter coat (at least, I figured that it seemed stylish, not that I knew anything about fashion) with a short black skirt peeking out from underneath it, covering her upper thighs, while the rest of her – admittedly quite attractive – legs were covered by black thigh-highs, which her white high-top women's boots contrasted nicely against.

"Yo, Miura." I replied and quickly lifted my gaze to meet Miura's green eyes, hoping she hadn't noticed where my eyes had been moments prior. "Wait, did you say '_we_'?" Just as I finished my sentence, I noticed another figure standing behind Miura, who now stepped to the side, coming fully into view.

"Hello, Hikigaya-kun. Fancy running into you here." My eyes met the glasses-framed ones of none other than Ebina Hina, who smiled back at me. Compared to Miura's vibrant one, Ebina was wearing a grey-coloured winter coat and donned jeans instead of a skirt, with a pair of earmuffs on her head. At her appearance, I looked towards Miura with a raised eyebrow, only to receive a similar expression from her in return.

"...I didn't know you would be here too, Ebina." I said and scratched my cheek awkwardly. _It does make sense, since she is now 'in' on Miura's scheme, but… I assumed from Miura's phone call that it would be just her._

"Hmm? Could it be that perhaps you were looking forwards to some _alone time _with Yumiko~? Fufufu..." Ebina leaned closer to me and poked my chest with her index finger, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "Maybe I will leave you two alone, after all – Yumiko is going to need some consolation after receiving a rejection from Hayato." I saw Miura's cheeks reddening at her friend's words, and she moved up to her and placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"H-Hina! Cut that out. Hikio is… a friend. And right now, he's also someone who will help us with the clique." Miura scolded Ebina, then turned to me, her cheeks still slightly flushed as she looked at me, but didn't meet my eyes with her own. "I-I hope you don't get any funny ideas, Hikio!" _What's with the reaction? It's lacking the usual amount of heat that I'm used to from the Fire Queen. 'Used to', huh… I guess I can't really escape __it. Well, there are worse people I could have as… friends._

"Nothing of the sort, Miura." I replied and glanced around briefly, feeling a few gazes on me from here and there, which made me slightly uncomfortable. _Yes, I met up with two pretty girls. Please stop staring at me like I'm some sort of freak! _"So, uh, are we going to go somewhere, or..? I don't really feel like discussing things out here in the open." I then continued and rubbed the back of my neck, and Miura cleared her throat before responding.

"Yes, we will. There's a place nearby where we shouldn't be interrupted. Come, this way." Miura began walking, motioning for us to follow. Before following her, I briefly glanced at Ebina, who met my gaze with her own and smiled, then moved closer to me, leaning so her face was close to mine.

"_Maybe I should have worn a skirt as well, then you would have had two pairs of thighs to admire._" Ebina whispered with a wink, her smile turning mischievous. _S-she noticed? I mean, I wasn't looking in the f-first place, so… Objection! The accusations are false, your honour! _"_Well, I won't blame you, Hikigaya-kun. Yumiko does have some _tasty _legs, if I do say so myself._" Ebina let out a small giggle, before she turned around and followed after Miura, leaving me dumbfounded at her words and actions, my cheeks feeling ever so slightly hot. _Was Ebina always this cheeky..? And that last comment… I get the feeling it wasn't just a joke..._

Shortly, I followed after the two girls, letting Ebina catch up with Miura, while I stayed a respectable distance away from the two. Following Miura's lead, we made our way past the crowds of people at the station towards a shopping centre close to it. _How will this ensure that we won't be interrupted? It's Sunday, there's bound to be tons of people here, especially given that we're pretty much in the centre of all Chiba. Someone from our school could easily see us and misinterpret things. _

"Hikio?" Miura and Ebina had stopped and were looking back at me, so I stopped as well as I raised an eyebrow in question.

"What is it?" Miura took a deep breath and brought a hand to her face to pinch the bridge of her nose, the gesture only increasing my confusion.

"What are you like, doing all the way back there?" Miura asked and crossed her arms, while I stared blankly at her.

"I… didn't want to give other people the wrong impression. I'm staying a respectable distance away from you two." I replied to the blonde, who let out a sigh of irritation.

"The wrong impression about _what_? We're _friends_, Hikio. Stop dragging so far behind us, it'll make you look more like a creep than if you just walked with us." _I… guess that makes sense. But… still. _"You walked me home on Thursday, and I didn't see you complaining about it."

"That was… different circumstances. Right now, people could see. People who _we_ know, or even ones we don't, but who know _us_." In response, Miura closed the distance between us, and as I reflexively took a step back, she grabbed onto my arm and pulled me along with her, until I was standing right by her and Ebina.

"Just shut up and come with us, Hikio. As I said, you are my _friend_, I don't care if someone sees us. Besides, I know Hayato is out of town for this weekend, Tobe is helping out his family with something, and Yui is still resting at home, if they're who you're worried about." Miura glared at me with her olive-green eyes, the distance between our faces less than I would have liked.

"Alright, alright." I said as I averted my gaze, feeling my cheeks heating up again due to her closeness, and freed my arm from her grip. _Seriously, she needs to stop insisting on being so touchy-feely with me. I am a healthy young guy, __after all, and even being __in__ love with Yukinoshita won't help with preventing my heart rate increasing when someone who can match her beauty is acting like this. Anyone other than me would get completely the wrong idea, woman!_"Let's just get going. The point of this little excursion was to talk about your plans, right? We should get to doing that as soon as possible." Miura eyed me for a few moments, before she sighed, then began to walk forwards again, prompting Ebina and I start following her.

Acquiescing to Miura's request, I walked with the two girls to my right, though I still made sure to keep a slight distance between myself and Miura. Even if we are… _friends_, I still have my personal space I like to keep to, and I didn't want to accidentally bump into her or anything – just me being considerate. Miura seemed content with it, chatting away with Ebina as we made our way to the shopping centre.

Being located in the very heart of Chiba, the place was quite large and spanned multiple floors, with dozens of different stores catering to whatever need one might have. Cafes and restaurants could be spied here and there, where people were taking breaks from their shopping sprees, or perhaps just enjoying a nice, warm drink before returning to the cold weather outside. And, with it being a Sunday, the whole place was absolutely jam-packed with people. I wouldn't have been able to maintain any sort of distance to the two girls without getting separated even if I had wanted to. Luckily, it seemed Miura was an expert at navigating the thick crowds of people as she lead us down a hallway on the second floor of the shopping centre, towards a cafe situated just next to an empty store plot – a place that was as "out of the way" as possible in a large shopping centre like this.

"Alright, here we are." Miura said once we'd arrived at the cafe. Peeking inside, I could see groups of people sitting at the various tables, but a lot less than what I had seen elsewhere in the shopping centre. _Huh, I've been here a couple of times, and I never knew of this place… Granted, I've never been to this part of the shopping centre, but this definitely seems like a cozy little place that I would like._

"This place definitely seems to suit our needs…" I said and glanced back the way we came, seeing very few people actually making their way towards us. _The empty plot acts almost like a buffer… And since this is a cafe rather than a store, it won't get as much traffic. _"How did you come upon this place?" I turned to look at Miura again with a raised eyebrow.

"I've like, known about it for a while, actually. Since last year, to be exact. The store next to it went out of business not too long ago, and ever since, the place has become a bit quieter. Although, it was always a quiet place, as you'll see soon enough. Come on, let's head inside." I nodded to Miura in reply, and the three of us walked through the doors into the cafe itself.

The place wasn't big, but it was clearly separated into two parts. The part that could be seen from outside looked like a normal cafe, with the counter at the back, behind which I assumed was a small kitchen or storage room, with tables dotted about here and there. Off to the side, however, multiple booths of varying sizes could be seen, separated from the rest of the establishment – and from each other – by wooden walls that extended nearly to the ceiling. Each booth had a sliding door on it, on which a number and a plaque could be seen, the writing on the plaque saying either "_Free_" or "_Occupied_". _Ah, I see what Miura mean__t__, __now. For customers that want privacy, they offer soundproofed cubicles, though I'm not sure how soundproof these are, considering the walls don't quite reach the ceiling. Well, at least they are private enough. I'll have to keep this place in mind._

Still following Miura's lead, we requested a private space from the employee at the counter, who directed us to one of the free cubicles, number 4. Inside, there was a table in the centre of the relatively small space, with seating placed against the walls around it in a U-shape. Embedded into the table, a small device of some sort could be seen, which the employee explained could be used to contact the counter when needed, such as when making orders. Before leaving, he gave us a menu and told us that we could use the space for half an hour, and that any additional time would incur a payment. After receiving each of our orders, the employee left us by ourselves, sliding the door close behind him and turning the plaque on it around with a soft "_clack_".

"You were right, Yumiko. This place is perfect for us." Ebina said as she sat down on the seat on the wall directly opposite to the door, while Miura took her seat on her right, and I on her left. "Though it does make you think… I wonder what people get up to in these small, enclosed places when no-one is looking?" Ebina pushed up her glasses and a quiet, creepy laugh could be heard from her, while I let out a sigh.

"You've read far too much _doujinshi_, Ebina." I said, then shifted my gaze to Miura, sitting directly opposite to me. "Let's get to the point. First of all… Miura, you spoke to Yuigahama on Friday, and got her to help you with your plans, right?" I already knew the answer to my own question, but it would act as a tie-in for what I actually wanted to tell Miura.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I did. I brought her up to speed with what Ebina and I have been talking about, but I made sure not to mention you to her, Hikio." Miura replied to me. "I've… actually thought about it a little bit, and… Why don't you want Yui to find out you've been helping me? I know you said something about the girls from your club not liking it if you undertook a request on your own behind their backs, but… We are friends, now. Won't they want to know how we became so… _c-close_?" Miura began to twirl a strand of her hair around her index finger and briefly averted her gaze from me.

"I was… just about to tell you something relating to that." I replied and took a deep breath as Miura met my gaze again, and I could see Ebina looking towards me with intrigue. "I… want to tell the two of them that I've been helping you. At first, I thought that my involvement with you, Miura, would end quickly, but… now I think that won't be the case." Miura's eyes widened for a moment, before a small scowl appeared on her face. Before she could voice her discontent, though, I continued. "It is as you say. I initially didn't want to tell them because I knew they wouldn't be happy if I had undertaken another request behind their backs on my own, and made myself believe that I was justified in doing so because this would be something that would be over rather soon, and we would never speak again afterwards. Given how things have developed, and since you… seem to still want my help..." I had to avert my gaze from Miura. _I won't admit to her that seeing a new side to Miura and spending time with her has been… not bad. I wouldn't go so far as to say I've enjoyed it, but there are worse ways I could have spent my time. _"...I don't think it's good of me to hide my involvement from the girls at the Service Club. Maybe this way, we'll all be able to help you, Miura." I looked back at Miura, whose gaze was still fixated firmly on me. "So, yeah. I just… wanted to let you know before I told them. I didn't want to betray the trust you've put into me, or something." I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck, and saw a small smile appearing on Miura's face.

"Thanks, Hikio. For telling me first, that is. I won't stop you from telling Yukinoshita and Yui. You… shouldn't keep secrets from your friends." Miura looked away as she finished, and while she tried to keep a neutral face, I could tell something was _off_. _She seems almost… _guilty _to say that… Everyone in her clique has their secrets, and they haven't opened up to each other properly, so I guess… Miura isn't much different in that regard. _I glanced to my right, where my eyes briefly met those of Ebina, her expression neutral. _But that is what she is working hard on – changing things so she and her friends can open up to each other. __She's shown me that she is strong – now she needs to use that strength to be honest._

_...I feel like I'm being a little hypocritical here._

Before any of us could continue the conversation, there was a knock on the door to the cubicle, and the same employee who had taken our orders had now returned to us with them – a simple coffee for me (with extra sugar, of course), an iced frappé for Ebina, and green tea for Miura. We paid for our orders, and were then once again left to the privacy of our cubicle.

"Right, so… You'll be telling Yui and Yukinoshita about this tomorrow, then?" Miura asked from me after taking her first sip, gently placing her cup back on the table as she met my eyes with her own.

"If Yuigahama is back in school, then yeah. I'd like to tell them both at the same time, but if I don't get a chance for that, then I'll tell them separately." I replied and took a sip of my own coffee. _I'd like to tell Yukinoshita at the earliest possible convenience, as I did kind of promise that to her on Friday… And, since Miura has already roped Yuigahama in, I don't want her to feel like she's been left out on purpose… Ugh, I should have probably told them sooner. I'll just have to hope Yukinoshita won't take it badly. No, she'll understand, I'm sure. I have that much trust in her. _"I'll… assume you told Yuigahama about Hayama?" Miura nodded to me in response. "I won't tell Yukinoshita about what happened, but once she knows that I've been helping you essentially work against him… Well, I'm sure based on what she knows of Hayama's request and the rumour floating around about you two, she'll be able to put two and two together rather easily." Miura stretched slightly, then leaned forwards as she let out a sigh.

"I'm fine with that. I… don't along with her at all, but… She shouldn't despise me enough to tell Hayato about what I'm planning, right?" Miura looked towards me, her expression slightly pleading, and I shook my head at her. _Yukinoshita isn't like that. __She may be fiercely competitive and hates losing, but spite is too petty for her._

"Those two… They've known each other since before coming to Soubu, right?" Ebina now spoke up, her gaze landing on me, and I nodded to her, then lowered my gaze to my coffee.

"Their families are on good terms with each other, and thus, they've known each other since they were young. That's all I know." _Which means that there are things in her past that he knows, but others don't. And vice versa. Well, I'm sure the Devil Superwoman Haruno knows both their secrets, having been there to watch it all._

"Just another thing Hayato has kept hidden from us all this time..." Miura muttered to herself, and I saw her grip on her cup of tea tightening. _I can't even begin to imagine all the things Miura has had going through her mind ever since she began to realize what Hayama has been doing all this time, but one thing I know for certain as that she must feel _hurt_. Slowly coming to the realization that the person you believed you loved doesn't care for you, and has simply used you… It makes me feel bad for her, and only increases my distaste for Hayama._

"At least you now see him for what he truly is, Miura." I said, and the blonde lifted her gaze to meet mine. "I've… said it before, but… I think trying to get Hayama to open up to the rest of you will be a fool's errand. In a way… I _can _kind of understand him – wanting to keep others away, closing himself from them. But, we are not the same." _And neither is he the same as Yukinoshita. And I know he knows that. _"Our reasons, and ways of doing do, are fundamentally different. Hayama is weak, but you've shown yourself to be strong, Miura. And in this cruel, twisted world…" I lifted my hands and formed them into the shape of an open maw, keeping them still just above my cup of coffee. "...It is the strong that devour the weak." Going for a dramatic finish, I snapped the maw formed by my hands shut, held it tight for a few moments, then rested my hands back on the table. _That was cool, wasn't it? __I've always wanted to say something like that… Eh? Why are you two looking at me with those dumbfounded expressions? D-don't tell me I've just done a Zaimokuza… I-it was a cool line, r-right?_

"Ahahahaa!" Miura burst out laughing after a few seconds of silence, and a giggle followed from Ebina, prompting me to look away from both of them. _Yeah yeah, laugh all you want. I thought it was a cool line, alright?_

"...I see now that Yumiko wasn't lying when she said you were more amusing than any of us could believe, Hikigaya-kun." Ebina said as Miura stifled her own laughter, the _meganekko _smiling at me warmly. "And I don't mean that in a negative way." Ebina lifted her own cup to take a sip, and I averted my gaze from her as I awkwardly scratched my cheek, my eyes landing on Miura opposite to me.

"Haah… What the heck, Hikio. Just like that, you manage to drive away my sour mood once again." Miura said as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, once again showing me her Geneva Convetion-breaking smile – and I would be lying if it didn't bring a slight heat to my cheeks.

"...It's not like I did anything special, just said what was on my mind..." Seeing Miura gaze at me with an almost _dreamy _look in her eyes and a healthy blush – likely resulting from her laughing fit – on her face, I had to look away again, feeling my heart rate increasing. _What the hell, woman? Stop looking at me like that! You're being far too vulnerable there – any other guy would have gotten the wrong idea! _Feeling the need to put the conversation back on its original track, I turned back to Ebina and cleared my throat. "Anyway, I also wanted to ask about that rumour you fabricated to counter the one about Miura and Hayama. What… exactly was it about, Ebina?" The girl on my right pushed up her glasses and smiled – though there was a wickedness in it compared to the one she had just a moment ago.

"Heh heh… So Yumiko didn't tell you about it? It was quite an ingenious plan, if I do say so myself." _Well, it was my plan in the first place, __but you took your own approach to it._

"...I was told it would spread like wildfire, eliminating the rumour about Miura, but without any of the negative effects that my original plan would have had." I said to Ebina, who seemed to look quite proud of herself.

"Quite correct, Hikigaya-kun. You thought that the only way to achieve quick spreading of a rumour was to make it a nasty one about someone, but given that the rumour only had to spread amongst the girls, you forgot one key detail." Ebina stared me square in the eye and lifted up her index finger. "...The overwhelming power of BL!"

…

"...What?" I refused to believe that I had heard her correctly, and heard a sigh coming from Miura.

"That was my first reaction when she proposed her idea." Miura brought a hand up to her face and rubbed her temple. "But, from what we could tell on Friday, it worked, and Ebina has confirmed that the rumour she planted is still alive and well even now when it's the weekend. I… can't doubt it's efficiency." _...__Scary. __I don't even know what the rumour was precisely about, but… Scary._

"Fufufu… Do not be like that, Yumiko. Deep down, _all _girls love BL. You just have to embrace it." Ebina paused briefly to drink from her cup again, then pointed towards Miura. "You always refused or made up an excuse before whenever I was attempting to show you its beauty – but no more! You want us all to open up to each other more, and _this _will be me opening up to you. There's no refusing this time, Yumiko." Miura shuddered at her friend's words, then let out a sigh of defeat, but before she could reply, Ebina reached out to her with a hand and smiled, continuing in a much lower, but also softer tone of voice. "...I've never truly showed any of you the extent of my hobbies, and I would very much like to do so. As long as you let me do that, Yumiko, I'll be happy. You can think whatever you want about them and me afterwards." Miura's eyes widened as she looked at Ebina, before she smiled back at her, placing her other hand on top of Ebina's.

"Of course, Hina. I already told you, didn't I? Whatever it is I find inside, I will accept it." Ebina nodded to Miura with a smile, and I felt a smile of my own forming on my face as I looked at the scene. _Look at me, getting all sentimental over something like this. And here I thought that years of watching Anime would have hardened me more… Well, I guess I am kind of happy for them. They're casting aside their old bonds that weighed them down like iron chains, and forging something else together. Something… _

_...Something _real_._

All of a sudden, I felt the urge to look away from the girls.

_Could… Could this really be it..? The genuine, real thing I wished for… Being completely open and honest with those who you consider your friends. No secrets, no lies, just cold, hard honesty and being yourself…_

It's almost painful how _simple _it sounds.

I didn't really know what I was seeking when I voiced my… _request _for Yukinoshita and Yuigahama that day, but I had hoped I could find it with them. I still don't know what exactly it would be, other than that it would be painful – truth and honesty always is. The club and its members are precious to me, I cannot deny that fact, but did I trust them with all my heart? Was... what Miura wanted to do with her clique exactly what I had been looking for?

But… opening up to another person _fully_ is not an easy feat. Miura and Ebina have begun to open up to each other, but it will be a while before they can be fully honest with each other. So… what about _me_, then? Being fully honest and open with those closest to me, for a chance at reaching the genuine thing – is that something I'm capable of? Or rather, is it something I am _ready _for? After all, if I were to completely open up to those closest to me, to completely put my trust into them…

...I would have to be honest about my _feelings_.

Taking a long swig of my coffee to wash away the uneasy feelings I had, I found my gaze landing on Miura, taking in her features as she now spoke with Ebina – I wasn't paying enough attention to make out what about. _If… If I do end up doing something like Miura is doing right now… __Would she be one of the ones I would… open up to? Certainly, Miura is adamant about us being friends, and staying that way even after this deal with her clique has been resolved. I do not hate her company myself, and I must admit that the new side I've seen of her is not only admirable, but even somewhat… _attractive_. Not that I didn't believe Miura to be that before, but previously it was only based on her physical attributes. _My grip around my cup tightened, and I looked down into the remaining coffee still in it. _What am I even thinking about? Get yourself together, Hachiman. This isn't what you came here today for. But… _I lifted my gaze again, happening to meet Miura's green eyes as she looked in my direction. _...Maybe helping Miura like this will benefit me. I'm still unsure what exactly the _real _and _genuine _I longed for in my selfish request is, but __perhaps observing Miura will be the key to finding that out._

"Oh, right, sorry, Hikio" Miura suddenly addressed me, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I raised an eyebrow at her. "We didn't actually say what the rumour was, right? I'm sure we must not have made a lot of sense just then..."

"...Knowing it somehow ties into the fantasies of that _fujoshi_, I'm not even sure if I want to hear anything more..." I replied and gestured towards Ebina, pushing my thoughts to the back of my head. _Maybe when I've seen this through, I will have gained a clarity that will allow me to act._

"Oh, it's nothing _too _bad, Hikigaya-kun." Ebina said with a smile, meeting my eyes with her own. "All I said was that there might have been _something_ that someone saw happening in the classroom during lunch break between Hayama Hayato and… _another boy_."

"...I don't think I need any more information." Ebina let out a slight giggle at my remark. _I can see how that rumour would work, though. Even if only half the girls were like Ebina, it would still spread very quickly, and given that the rumour was about Hayama, even the girls who weren't into BL would be interested… _"I'm guessing then that the '_certain someone_ the rumour could have a negative effect on depending on how they handled it' that Miura mentioned in her message to me on Friday is Hayama?" Ebina nodded to me in reply, taking a quick sip of her drink.

"Like Yumiko said, he's gone for this weekend, so he'll come back to a surprise on Monday, after rumour has settled in. I doubt he'd be able to ignore the rumour, as he'll have to do something about it in order to preserve his position and reputation. Because we planted the rumour before the one about Yumiko and Hayato got to spread amongst us girls, it should die out while he deals with the new one." Ebina explained to me, and I nodded to her in return. _I see. So, in essence, it is basically my plan, but executed differently. __It is still a fake rumour that has negative effects on the subject – Hayama – but those effects aren't as drastic as they could have been. And while Hayama will no doubt be displeased about this rumour, he shouldn't be able to pinpoint it back to us that easily. He might suspect me, given that he made to request for the club, but that's nothing I can't handle myself. Ebina might be his next suspect, but he should still be under the belief that she is on his side. And she is likely prepared for the possibility that he suspects she is not._

"Well, this should hopefully solve the immediate problem of the rumour, then. Miura managed to get Yuigahama on her side, so now you have three more members of your clique left." I said and leaned back in my seat, my eyes meeting first those of Ebina, before moving to Miura. "So, what's your plan next? Tobe? Something else? We came here to discuss our plans, so let's throw some ideas out."

The next twenty minutes or so seemed to go by quickly as the three of us discussed our plans moving forward (I had come to accept the fact that Miura would continue to rely on me for help, and I couldn't bring myself to refuse her now). The girls agreed that Tobe should be their next "target", given that Ebina believed the other two – Ooka and Yamato – to be the most likely ones to abandon the clique altogether over truly opening up to the rest of them. They had always been the most distant ones in the clique, and neither Ebina or Miura could say that the truly knew them personally. Still, Miura said she wanted to at least try, as they could very well also simply be victims of Hayama and his manipulation.

The first real problem came in the form of how it would be best to approach Tobe – both literally and metaphorically. Miura knew that his family had a business of some sort that he helped out with every now and then, but apart from that, she had no idea how he spent his free time when not with the clique. And when he was with the clique, he was almost stitched to Hayama's side, making it difficult to get him into a one-on-one situation like Miura had done with Ebina and Yuigahama. Not only that, but Tobe was also – put very nicely – an idiot (which all of us agreed on without hesitation). He wasn't a bad guy, but he wasn't smart and lacked the social skills of Yuigahama and Ebina. He can't read the atmosphere as well as they can, nor can he read between the lines, so he is oblivious to the status quo that their clique had been keeping up all this time. To the simple-minded Tobe, his friendships with the others seemed like they were real, and it was this simple-mindedness that Hayama exploited – and it was also the reason Miura was sceptical about simply straight up telling him what she had realized like she had done with Ebina and Yuigahama.

Still, we all knew Tobe would have to be the next one on the list, but the girls agreed to put the subject on hold until they could get Yuigahama's input on the matter. I also made a suggestion about baiting out Hayama's true self in a way that would make Tobe aware of it, but it was deemed too risky right now, as it might backfire onto us if Hayama caught wind of it. At that point, Ebina brought up the fact that Hayama might also get suspicious if the two of them started to act all friendly with me all of a sudden, like Miura wished to do, and I agreed that it was a genuine concern. As long as I got the chance to tell Yuigahama and Yukinoshita of my involvement with Miura, I didn't mind them knowing we'd become… _friends_, but Hayama was already suspicious of the two of us having some connection, so if Miura suddenly announced that we'd become closer… Only bad things could come of it.

Miura understood the risks, but she didn't want to have to "hide" our friendship any more, especially now that I was going to tell the Service Club about it as well. Ebina suggested that we could act as if she had been the one to properly introduce us to each other, given that Hayama was likely aware that Ebina and I had talked in the past, but I was still sceptical about the whole thing. We were only able to get this far because Hayama didn't suspect Miura, and revealing that she now considered me to be her friend could jeopardize all of her plans. Miura was oddly stubborn about the issue, though, and I ended up reluctantly agreeing, but made her promise to act as we had so far until I could tell the girls in the Service Club, which she agreed to.

Before even realized it, our half an hour in the cubicle had run out, and, not feeling like paying extra for another, we decided to leave the cafe behind. Seeing as my little outing with them hadn't taken that long, I intended to get back home as soon as possible to enjoy the rest of my Sunday, but it seemed Miura had other plans.

"Right, well… I'll take my leave now." I spoke up once we walked out of the cafe, and both the girls stopped to look back at me. "I mean, there's still plenty of Sunday left, and I did have some plans, so..." I averted my gaze as the two of them continued looking at me. _Like… Well, I guess I could finish that route in the VN I started last weekend, since Zaimokuza gifted it to me and seemed eager to hear my reaction. And I could stop by the book store on the way… Oh, and I'll need to find that novel for Yukinoshita… I-I totally have plans, I'm not just trying to come up with things on the spot!_

"What, like, staying inside all day? Live a little, Hikio!" I turned back once I head Miura's voice, and saw her walking back to me, and before I could react, she had grabbed onto my arm. "Come on, you were invited out by a girl, and I'm not going to just let you _waltz off _at the earliest chance!" Miura was glaring at me, though I didn't sense any animosity behind it. _...Oi, why are you making it sound like a date? You invited Ebina, too! _"...Well… If you really had something planned, Hikio… I'll let you go. I just… wanted to repay you for your help again." Miura's grip on my arm loosened a little, and she turned her head away, her gaze directed downwards. I had seen a similar thing multiple times in the past from my little sister (or, more recently, from Isshiki), and knew it to be an attempt at provoking my older brother instincts, but right now, I felt like I could sense sincerity in Miura's tone. In other words, she wasn't simply trying to manipulate me to agree.

"...Well, I suppose they aren't _that _urgent… I can handle them later tonight, so as long as we don't stay until it gets dark… It should be fine." I awkwardly rubbed the back of my head with my free hand while Miura looked back up at me, then smiled widely at me. _The food Miura paid for on Thursday was enough compensation already, but I don't think I'll be able to stop her from showing her gratitude. Hmph, she gets all stubborn about the weirdest things..._

"Alright, thanks, Hikio. You won't regret going shopping with me!" Miura said with a giggle, then began to drag me towards Ebina, who looked at the scene with amusement. _Okay, I _do _in fact immediately regret this! Please stop dragging me like that, you'll make people stare, and then they'll get the wrong idea! Ugh, I knew waking up today was a mistake!_

After some grumbling, Miura agreed to let me walk on my own, and she and Ebina lead me to a clothing store on the same floor as the cafe. As we made our way through the crowds of people, the thought that someone among them could be from Soubu and recognize us kept nagging at me. _I'm trusting Miura when she says no-one we know happens to be here, but I'm still uneasy… Well, I guess since Miura doesn't want to keep our… friendship a secret any more, it should be fine, and we have __Ebina's plan as well, but… I really don't want Yukinoshita or Yuigahama finding out about this before I tell them._

Simply accepting that I had dug this hole for myself for not telling the girls earlier, I held back an incoming sigh and walked with Miura and Ebina into the clothing store. This particular store seemed to be full of winter clothes, though that might have just been due to the season. The girls chatted away as they compared the various articles of clothing that were on display, while I tried to distract myself from the eyes I could feel on myself from time to time by doing the same. _I don't really know what you're supposed to do when shopping like this. If I go buy clothes, I usually just buy whatever I pick up first that fits and isn't too expensive, or then just order stuff online. __The internet is super handy like that – you don't even have to leave the safety of your own home to shop for daily necessities!_

"Hikio." Upon hearing her voice, I turned to look at Miura, placing the coat I had looked at back on its place as I did so. "Does this look good on me, do you think?" Miura held a white-and-blue winter coat with fuzzy cuffs and a hood in front of her, and I let my gaze wander up and down it for a few moments. _The colour scheme reminds me of Yukinoshita… It might look good on her, though with her looks, _anything _looks good. Or is that just my feelings for her talking?_

"...Sure, it looks fine. And, weren't you doing this so you could… _buy something_… for me, right?" I replied, now suddenly unable to look Miura in the eye. _That was surprisingly embarrassing to say…_

"I-I'm getting to that! And, I won't accept that generic compliment. I want to know how _you _think it _really _looks on me." Miura stared at me with her brows knitted together, though she wasn't quite glaring at me. _What for, though? Just ask Ebina, she knows more about this stuff than I do… _Seeing as the blonde wasn't moving an inch, clearly waiting for me to fulfil her request, I let out a sigh. _Fine, whatever. Well, I think Miura is definitely in the same boat as Yukinoshita, in that she would also look good in just about anything she wore, __be it__ an oversized woolly shirt or a ball dress, but…_

"...I think your current one looks better." I replied and gestured to Miura's red winter coat, which was draped over her arm, which she now also shifted her gaze to. "It's… I don't know… It fits you well, I think. And… looks very… _pretty _on you." I scratched my cheek awkwardly and looked away, feeling quite embarrassed at the situation. "...I'm not the best person to ask about this stuff, and I'm not good at compliments or anything like that, so..." Stealing a glance at Miura, I could see a slight blush on her cheeks as she smiled at me.

"It's okay. Thanks, Hikio." Miura replied and then looked at the white coat she had initially asked me about. "I think I'll keep what I have, then." Miura shifted her gaze back to me and smiled again. _Uh, okay..? __I still think Ebina would be a better judge when it comes to clothing, but she seemed very insistent on knowing what _I _thought of it… _"Oh, but I will need to buy some gloves… Could you help with that, Hikio? I'm sure you'll know which kind would be the best."

"Uh, sure." _Though it's not like I'm an expert or anything…_

The selection of gloves available was bigger than in any store I'd seen previously, and Miura – with my help as she had requested – ended up buying a relatively cheap pair from the same brand as my own gloves were. Despite their low cost, they had served me well for quite some time, and Miura seemed happy with them. Afterwards, we scouted the clothing store for something that Miura could buy me as a "_thank-you gift __and a sign of our friendship_" (her own words), and I settled on having her buy me a new scarf. I was quite content with my current one, but didn't want to refuse her kindness, so I figured something like this would work. The scarf Miura bought for me had a plaid pattern of darkish green and black colouring, with thin yellow stripes throughout it. The colours were somewhat muted, so it didn't stand out as flashy, and the material was as thick – if not a tiny bit thicker – than my current scarf, so it would keep me warm. Coincidentally, Miura bought a scarf with an identical design, but slightly different colours – the same darkish green, but with dark red as the secondary colour and black stripes – for herself, stating that her current scarf was starting to get old. In the corner of my eye, I saw Ebina grinning at the two of us as we chose our scarves, but ignored her. While I did find Miura gifting me something like this not entirely necessary, I could tell she was serious about being friends with me, so who am I to deny her that? It's not like there's some deeper meaning to it.

Plus, it was a nice scarf.

After we were done with the clothing store, Miura and Ebina wanted to visit a couple more places in the shopping centre, and I ended up following with them. Before long, it had already been over an hour, and all of our legs were in dire need of some rest, so we decided to have a short break. We made our way to where the public restroom was, and as I was the quickest to be done there, I sat down on a bench just outside to wait for the girls to finish. _Haah… this has certainly been an unexpected way to spend my Sunday. But… _I lifted up a plastic bag with the logo of the first clothing store we visited, and couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. _It hasn't been so bad, I suppose. Doesn't quite beat staying within the confines of my own home, but it's far from the worst way to spend time._

"Oh, I guess I was quicker than Hina." Miura's voice alerted me to her presence, and I looked up to see her glancing around, before she sat down next to me. _Oi, your leg is touching mine. P-personal space, woman! _"It's been a while since I've had this much fun on a shopping trip..." Miura said and stretched, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil. _Just calm down, Hachiman. Since when have you allowed something like this shake you? It's just Miura, don't let your thoughts wander. _"...And it's thanks to you, Hikio." I turned my gaze to look at Miura, and saw her smiling at me. _...Okay, that isn't helping._

"...I know you think somewhat highly of me now, but I wouldn't go that far." I replied and looked forwards again, and Miura lightly nudged me with her elbow.

"And I've told you time and time again that you don't think highly _enough _of yourself, Hikio. You've… quite honestly _saved _me. Well, maybe that's making things overly dramatic, but… I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there on Monday. And I do like, genuinely e-enjoy spending time with you, so..." I glanced at Miura, and she began to twirl a strand of her hair around her index finger, her gaze directed away from me. _Saved her, huh… _

"I think you did that all by yourself, Miura." The girl sitting next to me rapidly spun her head to look at me, her eyes wide with confusion. "You're strong, Miura. You wouldn't have done what you did if you weren't – I've said this before. It is true that I have helped you – how much exactly we clearly disagree on, but that isn't my point – but the one who has taken all the steps forward has been _you_. You had the strength to save yourself right from the start, you just needed someone to show that to you." I turned my head to face Miura, and froze in place, as our faces were closer than I had expected. _Ah…_

Anyone at Soubu would easily agree when I say that Miura Yumiko is beautiful. She is one of the few who can compete with Yukinoshita Yukino in terms of physical appeal, though people with different preferences may find certain… _attributes _of theirs more or less attractive. Suffice it to say, I am no different when it comes to acknowledging that Miura is indeed attractive.

So when said girl is staring right into my eyes, her lips slightly parted as if she had been about to say something, with very little distance between our faces, it's completely understandable that my heart would start beating quite a bit faster and my body would start to feel hotter. Not even my feelings for Yukinoshita can stop a completely normal natural reaction – nothing more to it.

_Right?_

"A-ah, sorry." Miura was the first to speak, moving her head back, her face now flushed, and I turned away as well, my own cheeks feeling hot as well. _T-this girl… Being with her is starting to seem to be as dangerous as being with Yukinoshita… The Ice Queen has left the defences of my heart in shambles, so I need to be careful. At least it's not like I could develop similar feelings for a _second _girl… _I stole a quick glance at Miura, but had to look away almost immediately. _No, that stuff only happens in Light Novels and Anime. This is just a physical response, so I need to calm down. Deep breaths, Hachiman. _A few silent moments passed, before Miura cleared her throat, and I warily looked back at her, but didn't turn my head this time. "You… say those kind words, Hikio, but… I'm not as _strong _as you think I am..." I saw Miura biting her lip, and her tone of voice was lower than before. _The atmosphere from just a moment ago is completely different… _Looking at Miura, I felt my onii-chan instincts flaring up, before she took a deep breath and turned to me again, her face serious but her eyes slightly watery. "Can I… _confide _in you with something, Hikio?"

"..." I stayed silent as I looked Miura in the eye, and seeing the _weakness _in them, I gave her a small nod in reply. _This is… clearly something she hasn't told anyone else, and she's putting enough trust in me to tell me about it. _I felt my hand holding onto the plastic bag clenching into a fist. _Why… does that make me feel… _happy_?_

"I… My..." Miura bit her lip again as she tried to find the words, before letting out a sigh. "...My family. They're..." Miura's voice was quiet, and her hands laid on her lap, unmoving until her fingers curled inwards.

"Ah, here you are! Sorry, I took a little long." Ebina's sudden voice caused both me and Miura to look towards the girl, who had just appeared from the restroom. "Hm? Did I interrupt something?" Ebina tilted her head in confusion as her eyes flicked between us, and Miura shook her head as a reply.

"No, you didn't. We should continue." Miura stood up and looked at me, while I raised an eyebrow at her. "I… I'll tell you another time, sorry, Hikio." She said and I gave her a slow nod in response. "It seems… I'm not quite ready yet..." Miura muttered under her breath, and Ebina looked at her friend with curiosity.

"So… I _did _interrupt something..?" Ebina questioned as I stood up, and Miura smiled at her in return.

"I'll tell you in time, Hina. Let's just continue with our shopping trip, now." Ebina eyed the blonde in front of her for a few moments, then reached out to place a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"Alright, if you say so. Where to next, then?"

Whatever mood had taken over Miura when she was about to tell me something about her family seemed to dissolve as we continued to go around the shopping centre, and Ebina didn't bring up the topic after her initial curiosity. The topic had clearly troubled Miura, and I figured that it was one of the things she hadn't told to the others. _Her family… There are an infinite number of possibilities for what could have come after her "they're"._

_Distant._

_Cold._

_Demanding._

_Abusive._

_I wouldn't want to think __that the last one is true, but… Considering she seemingly hasn't told anyone else, and the fact that she was clearly not comfortable talking about it…_

I shunted the most negative thoughts away, but couldn't get rid of a certain feeling nagging at the back of my mind. Miura was someone closer to me than most people, that much I could admit, and I did somewhat… _care _for her. So, now knowing that the source of what might have caused her to be hurt in the past, like I had suspected, had the possibility of being her _own family…_

Quite frankly, if it was true, it made me angry at her family, despite not even knowing them or their circumstances. It was selfish of me, but I couldn't help it. Of course, I could be wrong, but I could tell without Miura even telling me anything that her home life must not have been all sunshine. In the best case scenario, her situation was like mine – distant parents, but not voluntarily so. And the worst case scenario… I didn't want to think about it. _Still… to think that I would come to feel this way about the one and only Fire Queen of Soubu High… I've gone soft. _Having been absent-mindedly following the girls, I wasn't sure which store we were at, but I found my gaze wandering to Miura as she talked with Ebina. Keeping my gaze on her for a few seconds, I smiled to myself and looked away.

_Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing._

* * *

"_Tadaima_."

"Ah! Welcome home, Onii-chan! You were out for a surprisingly long time – _suuuuuuspicious_~!"

"Haah… Give me a break. I just went and checked out some things I had to do. Can you save the questions for later? Onii-chan would _love _to answer anything you want to ask about how I spend my free time, but right now I need to rest for a little bit. I'll be up in my room."

The shuffling of clothing, the rustle of a plastic bag, followed by lazy footsteps coming closer, before they abruptly stop, and the culprit behind all of these sounds looks me in the eyes, now seemingly frozen in place.

"Good afternoon, Hikigaya-kun."

I gently place my cup of tea back down on the _kotatsu_ and smile, finding quite a bit of amusement in Hikigaya's expression of utter bewilderment. _Ah, I want to burn the memory of that expression into my mind..._

"...Yuki… noshita..?" Hikigaya managed to say after a few moments of silence, his surprise at seeing me clearly evident on in his voice and on his face.

"Ara, it seems your rotten eyes are still capable of seeing. I suppose welcoming you back home would be appropriate, yes?" Komachi walked past her brother and returned to sit just to the right of me.

"What… are you doing here?" Hikigaya seemed to finally snap out of his stupor, and walked over to us, scanning the various books and other study material on the kotatsu with his gaze.

"Yukino-san came to help me study! She's been suuuuuper helpful with my entrance exam prep." Komachi explained as she leaned over the kotatsu, while Hikigaya's eyes flicked between her and me.

"We did discuss this on Friday, did we not? I had some free time today, and Nee-san wasn't around, so I contacted Komachi-chan and came here to help her." I continued after her. _Though, my true motives for coming here were different. _"When I arrived, your sister told me that you had left the house after waking up uncharacteristically early, so we took the chance to study out here rather than in her room." I continued my explanation. _I was rather looking forwards to seeing Hikigaya-kun, and was surprised to hear that he was not home… _My eyes flicked to the bag Hikigaya was carrying with him. _I wonder where he has been..?_

_...And with whom?_

"Ah, I… see. Sorry, I didn't expect that you'd come here on a weekend like this, Yukinoshita." Hikigaya said and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Komachi, are… Mum and dad home?" _Hmm… __I might be overthinking things – Hikigaya-kun would more than likely have gone out on his own rather than with someone else._

"Dad is still sleeping upstairs, or at least he hasn't shown himself yet, and Okaa-san left a while ago – apparently an old friend had showed up in town and wanted to meet. Oh, but you should have seen her face when Yukino-san walked in before she left! She had to down two cups of coffee before she believed that she was awake and not dreaming." Komachi was giggling to herself as she recalled her mother's reaction to my arrival, while Hikigaya let out a sigh. _Yes, she was quite surprised to see me. I tried to make a good first impression – she will eventually become my mother-in-law, after all._

"...I hope you didn't say anything that would have given her the wrong idea..." Hikigaya said with exasperation in his voice as his sister grinned at him.

"You need not worry, Hikigaya-kun. I made it very clear that our relationship is that of clubmates, and that I was here today only in order to tutor Komachi-chan." I said to Hikigaya with a slight smile and picked up my cup of tea again to take a sip. _As much as I wanted to say something else to her, now is not the time. I must take my time to make Hikigaya-kun realize that we are meant to be. _"And speaking of tutoring, should we get back to it, Komachi-chan? We've made advances in Mathematics, but you wanted some help with English as well, correct?" I turned to look at Komachi, meeting her eyes with my own. _Now, if all goes according to how I've planned… _

"Hmmm… I think I need to have a break, though..." _Indeed, for I have made sure you've studied harder than perhaps necessary._

"Oh? Is that so? Well, I suppose breaks are necessary when studying. I've read that going for a walk to clear one's head is beneficial for a good study session. It will allow you to review what you learned before when you come back as well." I brought a hand to my chin and looked upwards, seeing a big smile appearing on Komachi's face in the corner of my eye.

"That's a great idea, Yukino-san!" Komachi said and sprung up to her feet. "Oh, I know! How about while I have my break, you can have Onii-chan keep you company?" Hikigaya's eyes widened at his sister's declaration, while I had to suppress the smile that was threatening to form on my face. _Komachi-chan's __eagerness to have her older brother spend time with girls __comes in handy, now. I'll need to figure out some way of having her refrain from doing so with anyone other than myself, though..._

"Wait, Komachi, hold on-" Hikigaya tried to protest, but his sister cut him off before he could say anything.

"I'm not letting you refuse." The younger Hikigaya sibling took a step forwards and glared at her older brother. "Would you leave our guest unattended while I'm having a break, _Gomi-chan_?" Hikigaya seemed to flinch back at his sister's words, and he averted his gaze from her.

"Well, I wouldn't, but..." Hikigaya muttered something under his breath as he scratched his cheek, then turned to look at me. "Are you… fine with this, Yukinoshita?" Momentarily, I was surprised by his question, but then felt a smile on my face. _Oh, Hikigaya-kun, of course you would first think of me in a situation such as this…_

"I am not opposed to it, Hikigaya-kun. As long as you don't get any weird ideas, that is." I said to Hikigaya with a playful smile, conveying to him that I had no ill intentions. _My Hikigaya-kun is not that kind of person, but… Well, I wouldn't be _opposed _to that either._

"And there you have it~! Komachi's going to clean all this up, and then go out for a bit, so you two can have some time for yourselves!" Komachi said and began to pile up her books, while I drank down the rest of my tea.

"Eh? Wouldn't it be fine to just… wait for you to come back down here..?" Komachi sighed at her brother's question as I lowered the cup from my lips, before she moved up to her brother again and leaned closer to him.

"Can't you take a hint? Stupid Onii-chan… I'm giving you a perfect opportunity, here! Just go for it, I'm rooting for you!" His sister whispered to him, though it was loud enough for me to hear perfectly – on purpose, I assumed. _She is right, it is a perfect opportunity, which is exactly why I planned all this out. I hadn't prepared for Hikigaya-kun not being home, but I managed to turn that to my advantage. Now I just need to help him __get closer to realizing that he belongs with _me_. _"Ah, Yukino-san, I'll take care of your cup." Komachi said to me as she turned around and saw that I had finished my tea.

"Yes, thank you, Komachi-chan." I stood up and handed her the cup. "We'll continue the tutoring session afterwards, then?" _Though I am fine with it if we don't, as that would mean I get to spend more time with Hikigaya-kun._

"Yeah, I'll call for you when I'm back! Now, go, go!" Komachi began to usher me away from the kotatsu until I was stood next to Hikigaya.

"Ah, well… Lead the way, I guess, Hikigaya-kun?" Our eyes met, but only briefly, as Hikigaya turned away from me. _Is he… feeling embarrassed, I wonder..?_

"S-sure." Hikigaya replied briefly, glanced back at his sister, then started to walk towards the stairs, and I followed after him. As we made our way up the stairs, I tried to peek into the plastic bag he was carrying, but couldn't see what was inside of it. _The logo on it doesn't feel familiar, but… a clothing store, perhaps? So he went out to buy some new clothes, then? _"...Sorry about that. Komachi gets all excited any time she sees a girl in my general vicinity, so… I'm sorry she roped you into this." Hikigaya said as he stopped in front of a door I presumed lead to his room.

"Don't worry, Hikigaya-kun. We both understand that this is a social visit, yes? You've visited the apartment Nee-san and I live in, so I don't see a problem with this." I replied, and Hikigaya glanced back at me, his hand resting on the door handle. _Now that I think about it… I really am about to enter _his _room, huh? _Suddenly, I could feel myself getting all nervous, my heart starting to beat faster in my chest. _Just calm down, Yukino. Act natural. There's no need to be nervous, but I'll also have to be careful so I don't lose control and go to the other end of the spectrum…_

"..Right. Well, uh… C-come in." Hikigaya turned the handle and pushed the door open, reaching for the light switch as he stepped inside. _Calm. __Calm. Right, here we go._ After a deep breath, I followed after him.

Hikigaya's room was neater than I had expected, with some clothes I could see strewn on the bed and resting on the back of a chair being the only things that stuck out to me. Next to a desk with a computer on it, a large bookshelf – though not as large as the one I had seen downstairs – immediately caught my attention. Rows of novels were neatly organized on the topmost shelves, while the bottom one seemed to be reserved for Manga, from what I could see. _This must be his collection..._

Hikigaya walked over to the bed and dropped the plastic bag onto it, before reaching to pick up the bits of clothing on the bed and on the chair, moving to stuff them into a cupboard on the far side of the room. After finishing his "clean-up", he turned to me again and awkwardly scratched his cheek, not quite meeting my eyes with his own.

"So, uhh… You can… take a seat, or something. Oh, and close the door, please." Upon hearing his words, I blinked (for the first time since I had stepped inside, I realized) and quickly nodded to him, then turned to close the door. _Ah, I'm alone with Hikigaya-kun in his room… Calm down, heart. This is what you wanted, right, Yukino? _Turning back around, I saw Hikigaya had moved next to the bed again, and I walked up to him as he reached into the plastic bag he had carried in with him.

"You… went out to buy something this morning?" I asked, and Hikigaya froze for a moment, before he pulled out a book from the bag. The cover featured a girl with black hair sporting white ribbons and reddish eyes in a _questionable _state of dress. _...__I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but…_

"Something like that, yeah." Hikigaya replied and took out another object from the plastic bag, this time a dark green and black plaid scarf, and I noticed that for the briefest moment, his lips curled into a smile. "Actually… There is… something I need to tell you." Hikigaya walked over to his desk, placing the novel on it and neatly folding the scarf next to it. _Something… he needs to tell me? Could this..? _"Before that… do you want something to drink, or..?" Hikigaya turned back to me and pointed a finger at the door, and I shook my head at him.

"No, I am quite fine. Komachi-chan made some tea for me earlier, so I am not thirsty." Hikigaya nodded to me, then walked back over to his bed, sitting down on it.

"Alright, well… You can sit down, like I said." Hikigaya gestured to the bed, then to the chair at his desk, his gaze directed away from me. _His bed… Let's not go too far ahead. _I took a deep breath and sat down on his bed, keeping a bit of distance between us, though Hikigaya seemed to still tense up slightly as I sat down.

"What… did you want to tell me about?" I asked after a few moments had passed and turned to look at Hikigaya, who met my eyes briefly, before shifting his gaze to the scarf on his desk, then lowering his gaze again.

"Remember when I told you that I had been… _working on _something? On Friday?" I recalled the things we had talked about on Friday during club, then nodded in response. _Yes, he said that when I asked if something was troubling him… I thought it might have been a repeat of what happened during christmas, when Isshiki dug her claws into him. _"Well, you see… I… I've actually undertaken a request from someone on my own… _again_." Hikigaya finally met my gaze again, looking at me apologetically. _So I was correct, then._ "B-before you get mad, let me explain. I relates to the request Hayama made on Monday." Hikigaya raised his hands up in front of his chest defensively as he looked at me, pausing in his explanation.

"Don't tell me you accepted his request on your own?" Hikigaya shook his head at me in response. "Who made this request, then?" Hikigaya's eyes flicked towards his desk again, before he took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes again.

"I happened to meet Miura by chance on Monday during lunch break, and then again on Tuesday. She requested me to help her with opposing Hayama and the stagnating status quo he holds up, so she and her clique can open up to each other and truly become friends." Hikigaya explained. _Miura-san… I see. It all makes sense, now. Miura-san was the one who had interrupted his peaceful lunch breaks, not Hiratsuka-sensei. __And why Hayama-kun was suspicious of them having talked...__ I am slightly disappointed in Hikigaya-kun, but I can forgive him. __But Miura-san… _I felt my hands clenching into fists. "You… must be aware of the fact that Hayama is… _acting _in public, right? You've… known him for a long time, after all." Hikigaya averted his gaze again, and I let out a sigh.

"You could say that, yes. I will clarify, Hikigaya-kun, we weren't _that _close in the past, but the current Hayama-kun is not too far off from how he used to act. However, you are correct in saying that he is not being truthful about himself to those around him – Hayama-kun is very much like Nee-san is in that regard. I can safely assume she was a major influence as to why he started putting on the mask and distancing himself from others." I brought a hand up to massage my temple as all sorts of memories returned to me, pushing them away. "I do want to ask, Hikigaya-kun… Why did you not tell us about this? You say Miura-san requested your help in working against Hayama-kun, but what does that actually entail?"

"Mostly… I've been giving her advice, being someone to bounce ideas off of. Miura specifically didn't want me to tell Yuigahama, as she wanted to do so herself, and you… Well, I believed that the request – or at least my part in it – would be over quickly. With the way things have gone with Miura, though… I now know that won't be the case." Hikigaya turned his body so he was facing me fully, then bowed deeply. "I apologize for not telling you or Yuigahama earlier, Yukinoshita. I… may also have not told you the truth regarding certain things, so I apologize for that as well. I did it all in order to not to betray the trust Miura put into me, I hope you understand." Hikigaya kept his head lowered, likely waiting for my answer. _The trust that she put into him… I believed Hikigaya-kun and Miura-san did not get along very well with each other, so what caused this change..? I wouldn't have imagined that she would ask for his help. _A feeling I was all too familiar with started to bubble up inside me, but I kept my calm.

"Raise your head, Hikigaya-kun." Hikigaya waited for a few moments before lifting his head, locking eyes with me as he did so. "I must admit, I am a little disappointed, perhaps even _hurt_, that you didn't tell about this sooner. But, I know what you're like. You are far too kind to reject someone who is earnest enough to request for your aid." I smiled at Hikigaya, who averted his gaze from me as I did. "So, did you tell me this just out of guilt, or do you need help with Miura-san's request?" _I do not know what has been going on between Miura-san and Hikigaya-kun, or even how much they have talked, but… It won't do good to have my Hikigaya-kun spending too much time with her._

"I… don't think so, no. Not right now, at least. Miura is trying to convince the members of her clique to open up to her and each other and be _honest_, because she fears that if they don't, their fake friendships will fall apart upon graduation. She's already gotten Ebina on her side, and she's now helping Miura with her plans. And… Yuigahama as well." Hikigaya scratched his cheek, his gaze flicking to me but never staying for long. _So… I've been left for last?_ "Ah, but Yuigahama doesn't know that I've been helping Miura this past week, only that Miura is trying to change things in their clique. Apart from Ebina, you're... the first one who knows about my involvement." _Well, I suppose that is a relief. __Still, now that this has been brought to my attention, I must intervene. The influence of another girl can only be harmful to my Hikigaya-kun, and the more they interact, the higher the chance that Miura-san sees Hikigaya-kun for the wonderful person he truly is. From what I know of her, I would like to think she is too simple-minded and prejudiced to notice it, but… Considering she is now working against Hayama-kun, whom she previously quite obviously held dear… _"Oh, and… I guess I should also say that… Miura… she considers me her _friend_, now. We've… gotten _closer _as I've helped her, you could say, and I've seen a new side to her. I know you two don't get along – I didn't either a week ago – but… there is much more to Miura than either of us thought." I jerked my head to look at Hikigaya, and he seemed to flinch as our eyes met.

"You… what?" Things clicked into place in my mind, and it was taking all of my willpower to stop my hands from shaking – with _fury_. _Miura-san… _The feeling deep within me began to rise to the forefront of my mind – it was the same feeling as when I realized Isshiki was trying get herself a piece of Hikigaya.

"Uh, w-well, like I said… She considers me a friend, now. That's… why I went out today." Hikigaya pointed towards the scarf on his table. "Miura called me in the morning and told me she wanted to discuss her plans, so I went to meet her. Ebina was there too, and they kind of dragged me around a shopping centre afterwards. I… wanted to let you know, so it doesn't come as a surprise if you saw her acting more friendly with me, or something..." On the outside, I was able to keep my calm, but my mind was churning at the thought of _another girl –_ and not just any girl, but Miura Yumiko, who had always looked down on Hikigaya – leisurely spending time with him.

"...And is this… _friendship _something you agree to? I seem to recall there being quite a bit of opposition between the two of you in the past." I just about managed to keep my voice calm, though I knew my tone was colder than usual. _Keep calm, Yukino. It is unacceptable that another, _lesser _girl would have the guts to spend time with Hikigaya-kun, but you have to keep calm. It wouldn't do good to show him anything that I will regret later._

"Er… Well, like I said… There is more to Miura than I initially believed. She… isn't so bad." Hikigaya looked away in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck as he did. "This is… really embarrassing. Just… Haah… She considers me her friend, and while I'm not… inclined to use quite the same terminology..." _I see. Hikigaya-kun keeps a distance to other people, but there are those who he has warmed up to._

_And it seems Miura-san has managed to worm her way to being one of those people._

_Despicable._

_Unacceptable._

_There is only space for one other person to stand next to him as his equal._

_Me._

_Everyone else must learn this._

"I see." I said after a while of silence and looked forward, not focusing my gaze on anything in particular. _I do not know what Miura-san is planning, __but her opinion of Hikigaya-kun has clearly changed__, __so __I must take action soon to ensure __Hikigaya-kun does not stray from the path he is meant to walk. __If Miura-san turns out to be a potential obstacle…_

_Well, for her own good, I hope that won't be the case._

"Um… Yukinoshita..?" Hearing Hikigaya's voice, I turned back to him, and once again conflicting feelings arose within me. _What was I..? Ah, right… _I knew I felt strongly about Hikigaya – we were meant to be, so how could I not – but even still, the extent of my own thoughts sometimes scared me. Though, perhaps _scared _wasn't the right term, as at the same time… I knew they were simply the _truth_. "Your… eyes… I could have sworn… Nevermind." I brought a hand up to my face and lightly touched my cheek. _Hm? My… eyes..?_

"Sorry, did I space out a little?" I asked with a tilt of my head from Hikigaya. My feelings had mellowed out from a moment ago, but an uneasiness accompanied by anger still boiled deep within me. _I will need to learn more about Miura-san._

"Ah, it's fine. But… yeah, that's how it is. So… don't be surprised if you see Miura… well, actually talking to me, or something. I'm sorry, again, that I didn't tell you sooner. I'll be telling Yuigahama as well tomorrow." Hikigaya replied to me, and I relaxed myself, thanking my self-control in my mind.

"It is quite alright. You had your reasons, and you made an honest apology, so I can forgive you for this." I said with a smile, and Hikigaya let out a sigh of relief. "I can make the assumption that you will continue to help Miura-san with this, then?"

"Yeah, I will. She has Ebina and soon Yuigahama helping her already, but Miura… isn't going to let me walk away from this so easily." A slight smile made its way onto Hikigaya's face, and two conflicting feelings arose within me. Firstly, I knew wanted to see that smile of his more, but secondly… I felt something churning in my stomach as I realized that Miura was the one to have triggered it. "...And I don't really want to quit out now anyway. I've already promised to help Miura with this, so I might as well see it all the way through." _...__And there's the __protective __kindness Hiratsuka-sensei spoke of. __I can't speak ill of it, __though, __for it is one of the reasons __I harbour these feelings towards him._

"Well, I suppose that is fine. If… you and Yuigahama are helping Miura-san with this already, then..." _I do not want to leave Hikigaya-kun unattended with Miura-san._

"Ah, well… I think… it'll be up to Miura herself if she wants to ask you for help, but… I'll tell her you've offered it." I nodded in reply to Hikigaya, bringing a hand up to my temple briefly. _That will be a good chance to observe Miura-san, and if necessary, tell her to back off from Hikigaya-kun. _"So… is there… anything else you want to ask regarding Miura's request, or..?" Hikigaya asked from me after I had been silent for a time, his awkwardness clear in his voice.

"I think we can discuss things with Miura-san later. I can make the safe assumption that whatever happened between Miura-san and Hayama-kun on Monday is the catalyst for her wanting this change in her clique, yes?" Hikigaya nodded to me in reply, but didn't comment on it. _A rejection still seems to be the most likely thing to have happened… _"I won't dig any deeper, then." I let my gaze wander over Hikigaya's room, first stopping on the novel on his desk, then moving it to his bookshelf. "Oh, right. The novel you spoke to me about." I turned to look at Hikigaya, who raised an eyebrow at me in question. "_Ōkami to Kōshinryō_, was it?" Hikigaya's eyes widened slightly, before he stood up from the bed.

"Oh, right, yes. I should have it here somewhere." Hikigaya said as he walked over to his bookshelf and began to scan through it, and I stood up as well to follow after him. "Let's see… As I said, I only own the first volume, but… Ah, here it is." Hikigaya pulled out a book and turned to face me, turning the book so I could see the cover, which featured a brown-haired girl with a pair of wolf ears on her head and a tail peeking from behind her standing in what I guessed was a wheat field. "I can lend it to you so you can read it, but you don't have to be in a hurry to return it." Hikigaya handed me the book, and I took it from him, turning it around to check the back cover.

"Thank you, I will certainly give this a read and tell you what I think afterwards." I said as I scanned through the synopsis on the back cover. "Have you checked out my recommendation yet?" I then asked from him.

"Oh, not yet, no. I've just bought another volume of a series I have been reading, but after that, I'll see if my dad's bookshelf has it." Hikigaya said and gestured towards the table, where the novel he had purchased today was, and I nodded to him in return..

"Hmm… I suppose we do have some time before Komachi-chan returns, so..." I walked back over to Hikigaya's bed and sat down on it, then looked back at him with a smile as I opened up the novel he had given to me. "...We might as well get started on our respective novels, no?" Hikigaya looked back at me, stunned for a moment, before he seemed to grasp what I had said.

"Ah, I… guess we could." Hikigaya walked to his desk, picking up the novel on top of it before he returned to where I was sitting. After a few moments of awkwardly glancing between me and his bed, he sat down in his previous spot and opened up his novel.

I smiled to myself as I took a sideways glance at Hikigaya, feeling a relaxing warmth spreading through my chest. _These quiet moments are what I cherish most. __Hikigaya-kun and I don't need words between us, though there are some words I would very much like to hear leave his mouth. _Suppressing the smile on my face from growing larger, I instead basked in the atmosphere and began to immerse myself in the novel. _These quiet moments are unique to _us_, and no-one can take them away from us. Not Yuigahama-san, not Isshiki-san…_

_And certainly not Miura-san._

* * *

**AN: Phew, that's finally done. If I'm not mistaken, this chapter took the longest to come out, and I sincerely apologize for it. I started to work on (and actually published) a new story before I began to work on this chapter, which delayed it a little, and when I was about two thirds of the way done with the chapter, I kind of spontaneously started reading the _Gotoubun __no Hanayome _Manga and may have spent nearly every waking hour binge-reading it over the course of a few days. This obviously took away time from my writing, so… I do apologize, once again. On a kind of unrelated note, Nino is best girl, and anyone who says otherwise is a heretic.**

**The next chapter will not take this long to come out, that I can promise, though I will be a little busier with my studies, as my new semester has also started, so do bear with me.**

**Until next time, I bid you all farewell, and cheerio!**


	10. Chapter 9 - First Confrontation

**AN: Hello, everyone! I'm right in the middle of exam week right now, so I should probably be studying instead of writing this, but I'm sure it will be fiiiiiiiiine. I've kept you all waiting, as usual, so I need to kick myself on the arse and start writing. Who needs sleep anyway?**

**As usual, thank you for all the reviews. I love reading them almost as much as I do writing (a part of me wants to address some of the more lengthy ones directly, but there's so many that this AN would become super long, and I don't want to seem like I'm playing favourites – just know that I appreciate every single one!), so keep them coming! Constructive criticism is also always welcome ;)**

**Now, let's get back to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – First Confrontation**

"...So that's about it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Yuigahama, but given that Miura has already told you about everything, I'm sure you understand why."

"Hmmm… Well… You could still have told me you two became friends, meanie! It makes me really happy to know two of my closest friends have also become friends. A-ah, but Yukinon, you're still more important to me than Hikki is! S-sorry Hikki, I mean… Um… Agh."

As Yuigahama tried to amend her statement as to not offend either of us, my gaze met Yukinoshita's at the other end of the table. A small smile of amusement appeared on the black-haired girl's face, and I could feel a similar smile on my own face. As soon as I felt my heartbeat rising, however, I had to avert my gaze again. _...I was a nervous wreck after what happened on Sunday, but actually spending time with Yukinoshita like that did make me more comfortable around her… Though only a little bit, as evidenced by my heart rate __still__ skyrocketing when around __her__. Showing me such a cute expression doesn't help either!_

"...But really, I wouldn't have guessed that _you _would help Yumiko with something like this, ahahaa..." Yuigahama's words brought my attention back to her, and I saw her playing with her hair bun. "I-I mean… You didn't really get along with her before, right, Hikki?" Yuigahama then asked from me.

"Yukinoshita asked the same thing. And I guess the best answer is that… We didn't get along because neither of us truly knew the other." I replied, briefly glancing at Yukinoshita, who quietly sipped her tea without looking back at me. "But when Miura… _opened up_ to me, she turned out to be nothing like my initial impression had been, and it was very much the same for her." I awkwardly scratched my cheek as Yuigahama looked at me intently. _Stop that, it's making recounting all this even more embarrassing __than it already is._

"I… see." I found Yuigahama's lack of energy in her answer curious, and looked to see her with her gaze turned downwards, but she soon jerked her head back up and smiled. "B-but I really am glad you two could become friends! Maybe we could all hang out together sometime? You're welcome too, Yukinon!" Yuigahama was back to her usual self so quickly I questioned whether the look I had seen on her face just a moment ago was all but a dream. _I can tell that she really is happy about Miura and I becoming… friendlier, but… Could she really be mad that I didn't tell her and is just keeping it in? Being honest with those close to you… _Realizing that Yuigahama was glancing between Yukinoshita and I with an expectant look on her face, I met the blue eyes of the girl at the other end of the table again briefly.

"...Yeah, sorry, but no."

"I must respectfully decline your offer."

"Ehhhhh? Come on, guys! It will be fun! I think you should really become friends with Yumiko as well, Yukinon!" Yuigahama leaned closer to Yukinoshita, who in turn leaned away from her, sending me a pleading glance as she did. _Looking to me for help, huh? Wait, stop looking at me with those eyes. You'll really make want to come over there and pry Yuigahama off you, then confess my feelings to you and get rejected. _Holding back my true feelings (_Yeah, that whole 'being honest' thing is going really well, I know – but it's still in the planning phase!_), I instead gave her a shrug accompanied by a slight smile. _But, now that I'm seeing Yuigahama again… She doesn't seem to have changed her behaviour much. __She was acting just like before during classes today, talking mostly with Miura and Ebina, and Miura did say that she was going to help her..._

"You talked with Miura on Friday, right, Yuigahama?" Hearing my question, the girl turned to me again, before her eyes widened and she averted her gaze again.

"Ah… yes, I did." Yuigahama moved away from Yukinoshita and fidgeted a little."She… told me everything, about what had happened and what she wanted to do. Well, apart from befriending you, Hikki."

"Yes, I asked her to not do so before I could tell you myself. So, you're helping Miura achieve her goals, then?" Yuigahama nodded to me in reply, then raised an eyebrow in question, while Yukinoshita looked at our exchange with intrigue. "So… she must have asked you the same thing she asked from Ebina. To be… more _open _with her." Yuigahama's eyes widened for a moment, before she looked away again. _Of course, it could just simply be that Yuigahama really is like this – there's no need to 'open up' any further. __B__ut if everyone in their clique has more or less been hiding things from the others…_

"That… well… Yes, she did say that. And I was… _honest _with her, but..." Yuigahama seemed hesitant, which only fuelled my own curiosity. _It is __starting to__ seem like there is something Yuigahama has kept to herself. Perhaps, even if she is ready to open up to Miura, she isn't ready to do so with us..? It hurts a little to think that... _Just at that moment, the door to the clubroom suddenly opened, startling the three of us, and we all turned towards it to see two figures peering into the room.

"Hikio! Ah, did you tell them yet?" Miura asked as she nonchalantly walked inside, with Ebina following shortly after her, raising a hand in greeting as she saw us. On the other side of the table, I could see Yukinoshita pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Miura-san, could you please knock before entering to announce your arrival?" Yukinoshita said in exasperation as Miura walked up to me, the blonde looking back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Hm? It's not, like, that big of a deal, right? So, did Hikio tell you about _us_, yet?" Miura turned to me with a smile. _Oi, woman. Phrasing! _I saw a grin appearing on Ebina's face briefly, and mentally let out a sigh. _Does Miura even realize what she's just said..?_

"...Yes, he has informed us that you two have become acquainted due to him helping you during the past week." Yukinoshita said coolly as she narrowed her eyes at Miura. _That look is kinda scary… And I could swear the temperature just dropped by a few degrees. _"So, if I may inquire… What is your business here today, Miura-san?" Yukinoshita spared a quick glance at Ebina, before she returned her sharp gaze to Miura.

"I don't really like your tone of voice, Yukinoshita." Miura said and crossed her arms as she returned Yukinoshita's cold glare with a fiery one. _Uh… This atmosphere is not good… Did these two really dislike each other that much..? I can't remember Yukinoshita ever being this… _hostile_ before, though. _I looked to Ebina, who seemed to be quietly evaluating the situation like I was, while Yuigahama's gaze nervously flicked between her two friends currently having a stare-off. After a painful amount of time had passed, the silence was broken by a sigh coming from Miura, whose stance now became more relaxed. "Well, you're like, Hikio's friend, so I should try to get along with you. We've not exactly been on the best of terms up until now, but… I'm willing to overlook the past. Taking the blindfold off allowed me to see how great of a person Hikio truly was, so I shouldn't judge you so hastily, either." Miura turned to me briefly again with a smile, and I averted my gaze, hoping that my embarrassment wasn't too obvious. _What the hell was with that line? Are you tying to make me fall for you or something? __You're over-exaggerating things._"So, to answer your question… I'm here to request your help. I've already told Yui, but what about you, Yukinoshita? Did Hikio tell you what I'm aiming to do?" Yukinoshita kept her gaze on Miura for a few moments, before she closed her eyes and took a sip of her tea.

"You are trying to break away Hayama-kun's control within your clique and have everyone in it open up to each other, so you can become 'true friends', correct?" Yukinoshita asked, opening her eyes to look Miura in the eyes again as she lowered her cup, and the blonde nodded to her in reply.

"More or less, yes. I… We… Hayato has been _using _me, and I was foolish enough to blindly believe him all this time. But now I know that if things stay like this, _we _won't last." Miura looked to Ebina, then to Yui, the former of which placed a hand on her shoulder and offered a reassuring smile. "But I don't want us to break apart. I want us… to became true friends, as you said. To do that, we need to be open and honest with each other, but… Hayato doesn't want that." Miura's hand clenched into a fist briefly, then she relaxed again. _The wound Hayama has left will not heal that easily, even if things in the clique change for the better._ "I don't know why he is the way he is, but I want to try and change things in our clique. And… if possible… I want to try and change _him_." Miura looked Yukinoshita directly in the eyes, not with the glare she previously had, but with an expression more akin to a pleading one.

"..." Yukinoshita kept silent as she gazed back at Miura, then took another sip of her tea. "...I see." She then said after placing her cup back down, her gaze shifting first to Ebina, then to Yuigahama, and finally to me, before she returned it to Miura. "I can somewhat understand how Ebina-san and Yuigahama-san are able to help you with this, and Hikigaya-kun told me that he had been… _an advisor _of sorts, but… How do think I would be able to help you in your endeavour?" At first, Yukinoshita's question made me think she was implying she wouldn't help Miura regardless, but from her expression and tone of voice – while both calm and neutral, as is usual for the Ice Queen – I got the feeling that wasn't the case. _Am I getting better at reading her? I've definitely grown closer to her, at the very least… It's scary how that thought doesn't disturb me any more – quite the opposite._

"I know you two are old… _acquaintances_. So just… tell me about him. Was he always like this? If not, why did he change? What… is he truly like under that mask of his?" A pained expression flashed across Miura's face, but she shook her head to clear it away and looked at Yukinoshita again. "I know he'll oppose the change I want, so like, understanding why he is the way he is will help in bringing about that change, and maybe… It will also help us convince him to open up as well. So..." Miura took a deep breath, then suddenly bowed deeply in Yukinoshita's direction. "I would very much appreciate it if you could help me with this, Yukinoshita. And, I'm sorry for like, being mean to you in the past, I guess." Mura kept her head lowered for a few seconds, then raised it up slightly to look at Yukinoshita, whose eyes were widened in surprise, while similar expressions could be spied on the faces of both Yuigahama and Ebina. _It isn't an exaggeration to say that the Fire Queen has mellowed out somewhat, but… Bowing her head while requesting aid from Yukinoshita? No-one could have seen that coming._

"…Apology accepted." Yukinoshita said after she got over her stupor, then cleared her throat once Miura raised her head. "Well, it does seem that I also had the wrong idea about you, Miura-san, so I must apologize for that as well. And regarding this request of yours…" Yukinoshita shifted her gaze away from Miura and met my eyes, keeping her gaze on me for a few moments before looking back at the blonde. "...Given that Hikigaya-kun and Yuigahama-san are already helping you in their own ways, I don't see why I cannot help as well." Yukinoshita allowed a small smile on her face, and seeing the relieved expression on Miura's face, I felt a smile of my own forming as well. _That went better than I expected. Of course, I knew Yukinoshita was mature enough to forgive Miura, if she was given the chance to see the new side to her, and she did indirectly offer her help on Sunday – although that was when talking with me – but a part of me couldn't shake off the memories of what I know has happened between the two in the past._

"_Arigatou_, Yukinoshita. I… This all… really means a lot to me, so I'm glad you could push aside our past and help me." Miura said with a smile as Yukinoshita reached for her teacup, and I did the same – for the first time in quite while, as I shortly realized after the now-cooled tea touched my tongue. "If… If I'm allowed to be honest with you about something… I want to like, get it off my chest or something..." Miura's gaze flitted between the table and Yukinoshita, who gave the blonde a nod of approval.

"Go ahead. I promise not to get mad." Miura nodded in return, then took another deep breath before she spoke.

"I was… always _jealous _of you, Yukinoshita. You were pretty, smart and athletic – perfect in all aspects. But you had this like, '_Ice queen_' persona, and I thought you were just haughty and arrogant." _Huh, so I guess I'm not the only one to use that moniker. _"Then there was your… _connection_ with Hayato. Neither of you ever said anything, but I could tell you two knew each other, and that just made me even more jealous. But now that I've seen that the Hayato I know is just a mask, and after actually thinking of what Yui and Hikio have said about you..." Yukinoshita shifted her gaze to me and narrowed her eyes, and I instinctively flinched back. _I-it was nothing __personal, honest! You've just naturally come up in conversation at some point, I swear! _"...I've come to realize all of those were just negative preconceptions of mine. So… I hope we'll be able to get along better from now on, or something." Miura looked away from Yukinoshita and began to twirl a strand of her hair around her index finger. _It feels… odd seeing the fierce Miura be so embarrassed about asking someone else something like that… Although, it is understandable, given the recent events that have changed how she views things, and her past with Yukinoshita._

"...I appreciate your honesty, Miura-san, and..." Yukinoshita's eyes flicked to me briefly, but soon her gaze was on Miura again. "...I _do _also very much hope we get along. It will be for… everyone's benefit." Something about Yukinoshita's answer felt… _off _to me, and I tried to read her expression, but couldn't detect anything from beyond the surface of her smile. _Maybe I'm reading into things too much… _"So, you said you wanted to know about Hayama-kun, yes?" Yukinoshita then asked, seemingly wanting to move the conversation forward, and Miura nodded to her. "I must say, I do not know a lot, but I definitely know more than most people do, so perhaps there are some things you might find useful." Yukinoshita brought a hand to her chin as she thought briefly, her gaze moving over each of us and finally landing on Miura. "Though, if you want more information than what I have to offer, you would have to turn to my sister." _Yukinoshita Haruno… She would definitely be the one to ask about Hayama from, but… Even thinking of talking to her is causing shivers to go down my spine._

"Anything is fine. I… I want to know why Hayato is the way he is, so… please."

Yukinoshita obliged to Miura's request, and the blonde sat down in the sole seat on the other side of the table, with Ebina standing next to her. Before Yukinoshita started telling us what she knew of Hayama, however, she asked Miura to summarize the situation she was in again and what _she _knew of Hayama, stating that having a firmer grasp on everything would allow her to help more precisely.

Miura did as asked and told Yukinoshita everything she had already told me, from her starting to notice that something was off about Hayama, to her coming to the realization of just how shallow her friendships were. Miura even told Yukinoshita about Hayama's rejection of her (which Yukinoshita said she had figured out as being the most likely thing to have happened, and the underlying reason behind Hayama's request to us last week), and how it was the final confirmation for her that under his mask, Hayama was not the person Miura knew. She had seen glimpses of someone cold and arrogant, who had used his social skills to bring their clique together and kept them together, but without ever truly opening up to them, or even considering calling anyone in it a true friend. To the Hayama beneath the mask, Miura, who had been clearly smitten with him, was a useful pawn for keeping away others like her due to her "aggressive" nature, nothing more than a pretty face he could manipulate. She explained that she had now seen the truth, and was furious at Hayama for it, but also disappointed in herself in having let herself get fooled all this time. In the back of her mind, she had always known their clique was a fragile thing, but Hayama's words had made her refuse to acknowledge it. But, even with her anger, she still wanted to _truly _know Hayama, all in hopes that she could change him, to get him to open up, and she needed Yukinoshita's help in that.

By the time Miura had finished, she had gotten quite emotional. But, Miura stayed strong as she told everything she knew to Yukinoshita – though it was with the help of a supportive hand on her shoulder from Ebina, and another from Yuigahama holding onto hers. Though there was still a long way for what they had to become _genuine –_ whatever that might be – I could tell that right now, this was something _far_ greater than the shallow bonds they had had before. And I would be lying if I said that seeing that didn't bring a smile to my face – though I expertly hid that from the others to prevent being called a creep.

I really am going soft.

After giving Miura a few moments to compose herself, Yukinoshita began to tell us what she knew of Hayma, giving yet another disclaimer that what she knew was still not much, as the two of them had not been close, even if they did know each other (I definitely got the feeling Yukinoshita did not like the idea of being associated with him). She didn't know when exactly he began "wearing the mask", but she had observed a change in how he acted during middle school. Hayama had been as popular as he is now, but he had always kept a bit of distance to others. At one point, however, that distance seemed to become even greater, and she rarely saw him interacting with anyone. For a time, Hayama was essentially a _loner_. It seemed as if the friends he had before had vanished from his life. According to Yukinoshita, though, this "phase" of his didn't last long, as soon enough, Hayama had climbed back up to the top of the social hierarchy. He became the king who always found a way to keep everyone equally pleased, but in truth only did that to maintain the status quo, keeping things neutral and unchanging for whatever reason. Yukinoshita didn't know whether he already had his mask before his "loner phase", or if he donned it afterwards, but she knew for certain that her older sister had some influence in this – as well as things within his own family.

Miura wanted to question more about Hayama from Yukinoshita, but she simply said that was all she knew and avoided elaborating any further. She hadn't been particularly descriptive of any specifics about her past when talking about Hayama, so I didn't pry either. I had figured Yukinoshita had things in her past she wasn't comfortable with talking about, and whatever those things were, they definitely had something to do with her sister and Hayama. _Seems like Yukinoshita Haruno has all the answers regarding the two of them and their pasts… Whether or not what comes out of her mouth can be trusted is another thing entirely._

"...That is all the information I can give you, Miura-san. You will have to turn to my sister, if you want to know more, as she will undoubtedly know more about Hayama-kun's circumstances than I do. However… I do not recommend speaking with her." I nodded alongside Yukinoshita's finishing statement, while Miura looked at us with a raised eyebrow.

"Why not? Do you guys like, not get along as sisters?" Miura questioned, while Ebina looked upwards thoughtfully next to her.

"Your sister is… Yukinoshita Haruno, yes? The alumni who performed at the cultural festival?" Ebina asked from Yukinoshita, who nodded in reply.

"That is correct, Ebina-san. Nee-san and I… It's less about us 'not getting along' and more that… she is a rather _unpleasant _person. She wears a mask, like Hayama-kun does, but she is far more sinister than he is. Nee-san is… manipulative, cunning and _ruthless _when it comes to getting what she wants." Yukinoshita explained. _Add on top of that her peerless beauty, and you have a dangerous mix. Truly deserving of the title 'Demon Superwoman'._

"M-maybe you're being a little _too _harsh on Haruno-san, Yukinon..." Yuigahama said and awkwardly played with her hair bun, while Yukinoshita let out a sigh.

"...I suppose Nee-san might have her good points, but they are few and far between. My point is, if Miura-san wants more information about Hayama-kun, Nee-san is the best person to ask, but one must be careful when talking with her, and always question whatever comes out of her mouth." Yukinoshita looked at Miura again, who lowered her gaze for a moment.

"I… think this will be enough, for now, at least." Miura said and looked up again, her gaze shifting between the three of us on this side of the table. "Thanks, Yukinoshita. Knowing just a little bit more about Hayato… It will aid in changing him." Miura looked at Yukinoshita with a confident expression on her face. _Well, that still remains to be seen. I don't think there's much that can be done to have him open up… Unless you find out the true reason behind all he's doing. __Which would likely require involving Yukinoshita Haruno. _"But, before that, we need to get everyone else in the clique on our side first."

"Did you decide whether you were going to try with Tobe first, or..?" I asked, my gaze flicking between Miura and Ebina. _I didn't see or hear them talk about anything like that today, at least._

"Yes, we did. Hina set up a _Line _group for us three, so we could plan without like, Hayato finding out." _Ah, that explains it._ "Oh, right! I tried to add you to it from my contacts, Hikio, but it didn't work for some reason. Can you give me your phone so I can like, do it manually right now?" Miura took out her phone from her pocket and extended a hand towards me, her open palm waiting for me to oblige to her request, while Yukinoshita's gaze became firmly fixated on the two of us, and I suddenly felt like a deer being stalked by a wolf – if I took one step in the wrong direction, I would be pounced upon. _What's with that look in her eyes? It's a bit scary._

"I… don't use Line, so… That's why it didn't work." _I had it at one point, but it was pretty sad that I could practically only use it to contact Komachi, so I ended up deleting it… _I glanced at Yukinoshita again, who had closed her eyes as she breathed deeply, and once she opened her eyes again, any trace of the scary look was gone.

"Well, I'll just download it for you. It'll take like two minutes." Miura gestured with her hand again, and Yuigahama was now the one to fixate her gaze on us. _Is it really that surprising that Miura has my phone number..? Well, I guess it kind of is, but… __It still hurts, you know? __Also, just because I gave you phone once doesn't mean I'll do it again, Miura._

"I would like to believe Hikigaya-kun is perfectly capable of doing so himself, Miura-san." Miura turned her gaze to Yukinoshita, who had now taken out her own phone. "I do also think it would be most beneficial if I was in this… chat group as well, since I am also helping you with this. Wouldn't you agree?" Yukinoshita's gaze moved between Miura and Yuigahama expectantly. _Did I sense… a bit of irritation in her voice, then? I... guess she doesn't want to be excluded? Though, I could easily be mistaken. I've gotten better at understanding Yukinoshita, but she is still hard to read at the best of times._

"Oh, yes, we should totally get Yukinon into the group as well!" Yuigahama clapped her hands together as she looked between Miura and Yukinoshita, the former of which looked back at me, then let out a small sigh and withdrew her outstretched hand.

"Alright. Yui can add Yukinoshita, so tell me when you're ready, so I can add you, okay, Hikio?" Miura asked from me, and I nodded to her. _I mean, Yuigahama could just add me at the same time when she's adding Yukinoshita, but it doesn't really matter who does it, I guess._

I took out my own phone and began re-downloading the application, which didn't take long, and Miura immediately added me to their group chat. _Heh, who could have imagined that I would one day share a private group chat with four girls… _As I looked at the list of people in the private group, my eyes locked onto Yukinoshita's name, and I froze momentarily. _This… If I just tapped on that name, I could see… _I lifted my gaze from the phone screen and looked at the opposite end of the table, where Yukinoshita sat, her gaze fixated on her own phone screen while Yuigahama talked about something or other with Ebina. _Why am I feeling so nervous all of a sudden? It's just a phone number. I mean, we are now in the same Line group, so it's fine if I see what her phone number is, right? _I looked back at my own phone, Yukinoshita's name staring back at me almost tauntingly. _I probably shouldn't add her to my contacts list or anything without her permission, though… _I reached for my phone's screen with my free hand, my index finger hovering just above Yukinoshita's name as it was displayed in the list. _Well… It won't hurt if I look at it, and maybe write it down. In fact, it would be useful to know her number in case of an emergency. Yes, that is a good excuse. _I stole another glance at Yukinoshita, who was now tapping away at her own phone screen, the smallest hint of a smile on her face.

_...__Or I could just ask her for her number._

…

_Yeah, let's not._

Once again I returned my gaze to my phone, and I took a deep breath as my eyes locked onto Yukinoshita's name. _It will be fine – no-one has to know that I know her number. And even if someone does find out, I can just say that I saw it in this group chat. It's not like I'm doing anything illegal – so stop beating so fast, damn heart! _As my finger was about to make contact with the screen, the door to the clubroom suddenly opened, interrupting Yuigahama mid-sentence and bringing all of our attention to the door.

"Hm? Oh, if it isn't a prime example of today's youth. You're all sat around the same table and yet you're still playing with your smartphones." The one who had walked though the door – Miss Hiratsuka – exclaimed as she strode in, casting her gaze upon us all and stopping once it landed on me. "Even you, Hikigaya? I thought better of you." She then continued with exaggerated disappointment in her voice and accompanied by a shake of her head.

"...It seems you have the wrong idea about what was going on before you arrived, Hiratsuka-sensei. And I've said it multiple times already, but please knock before you enter." Yukinoshita said and placed her phone on the table, and I followed suit after locking mine.

"It's not that big of a deal, right?" _Is this Déjà-vu? _"Anyway, I'm surprised to see you two here. Not what I expected to find." Hiratsuka-sensei shifted her gaze to Ebina and Miura as she walked up to us.

"So… you came here for something specific, then?" I asked, and Hiratsuka-sensei turned to me and nodded.

"I was looking for Isshiki. She wasn't in the Student Council room, so the Service Club was my next stop, seeing as she seems to like loitering around here." She explained, her gaze moving across each of us. _Isshiki? __So, wait, she hasn't been around today? That's… somewhat concerning. _"But, as is evident, she isn't here either. Have any of you seen her around?" Miura and Ebina looked at each other, then shook their heads, and Yukinoshita did the same.

"I saw her during lunch break near our classroom when I went… to the _b-bathroom_. But after that I haven't seen her." Yuigahama said to Hiratsuka-sensei. _Well, at least she's been to school… What happened on __Friday is still bugging me, and if this is somehow related to why she was acting so weird back then…_

"Hrmm… And the other Student Council members told me that she had said she had something to do today… This is problematic, as I needed the Student Council for something kinda urgent… And I can't rely on the Service Club this time either." Hiratsuka-sensei said and let out a defeated sigh.

"U-um, I'm sure we can help with whatever you need, Sensei!" Yuigahama said, glancing between Yukinoshita and I. _H-hey, don't just go announcing things like that! I'm sure it was her plan all along to get us to be her unpaid workers! Well, it's not like we get paid for what we do normally…_

"I appreciate the offer, Yuigahama, and in any other circumstance I would gladly take it, but unfortunately, this is something I explicitly need the Student Council for. I already told the other members that I'd need their help with something, but I need to get a hold of Isshiki before we can start on anything." Hiratsuka-sensei explained to us and crossed her arms under her chest. "Do you have her number, Yuigahama? If she's off school grounds, I'm going to have to give her an earful." Yuigahama nodded, then took out her phone again and began to tap away on it, while Hiratsuka-sensei turned her gaze to Miura and Ebina again. "So, you two are here for a request, then, huh?"

"Yes, we are. Well, Hikio's been helping me a bunch already, but this is something… I can't do alone." Miura replied, and Hiratsuka-sensei, who had been smiling up until now, took on a more serious expression.

"That does remind me… I hope you still remember what we talked about on Friday?" She asked from Miura, who gave the teacher a nod, and I saw Ebina looking at the exchange with intrigue. "Good. I might be busy tomorrow with the Student Council, but… How about Wednesday?" _I wonder what they're talking about..? What, has Miura done something to warrant a lecture from Hiratsuka-sensei or something? I don't really get that vibe from this, though..._

"That… sounds fine for me." Hiratsuka-sensei nodded in response to Miura, who I noticed was suddenly… _gloomier _than usual. _Maybe it is something serious? Well, I shouldn't stick my nose into things that don't concern me. _My thoughts briefly wandered back to my shopping trip with Miura and Ebina, back to the moment when Miura had been about to tell me something about her family. _Could it really be that..? It would make sense if Hiratsuka-sensei knew about it, if __that__ was the case… I… No. If Miura doesn't want to tell me herself, I won't pry. But... _I stole a brief peek at Miura, who had her gaze directed downwards, her expression neutral.

_...I can't help but feel like I _want _to help her regardless._

I shifted my gaze from Miura to Yukinoshita, happening to meet her blue eyes with my own.

_It's similar to what I feel towards Yukinoshita. But if that's because I… _love_ Yukinoshita… Is it just my instincts as an older brother that make me feel like that towards Miura? _

…

_This is too much to think about right at this moment._

"She's not answering her phone… I've sent her a message saying you were looking for her, Hiratsuka-sensei, but… I can't help but feel a little worried." I pushed my current thoughts aside as Yuigahama spoke again, looking at Hiratsuka-sensei with a slightly distressed look on her face.

"I'm sure Isshiki's fine – it's not like she's completely disappeared, as the other members of the Student Council saw her just earlier. If she doesn't come to school tomorrow, though… That's when we start worrying." Hiratsuka-sensei said, but Yuigahama's only reaction was that her grip on her phone tightened.

"It is very possible Isshiki-san is simply unable to answer at this time, Yuigahama-san. You shouldn't start thinking of the worst just after one phone call." Yukinoshita said in a calm manner, and I saw Ebina nodding along with her. "Perhaps she had something urgent to do with her family today, and thus had to leave early? There are countless possibilities – and not all of them are bad." _Yukinoshita is right, but realistic pessimism never hurts. There's no harm in being prepared for the worst, and if you are, the good things that happen just feel that much better. Like when… Huh, I can't actually think of any examples. Just goes to show how many good things happen to me… Come on, think, Hachiman!_

"There you have it. As long as she's here tomorrow, everything should go smoothly, and even if she isn't, all I need to do is inform her what we're doing and start things without her." _Hmmm… Maybe that one Visual Novel Zaimokuza gave to me? It was pretty good… Though I guess I didn't really go into it expecting the worst, more like I had no expectations whatsoever… Well, whatever. It still makes sense, right? Wait, who am I even trying to explain this to? _"Well, I think I'll leave you kids to it, now. You have a request, so I'm not going to disturb you any more." Hiratsuka-sensei turned around and began to make for the door, turning back briefly with a raised hand before she exited. "I'll be seeing you around!"

We all gave Hiratsuka-sensei some form of farewell – a simple nod and a raised hand from me – and returned to our previous topic by discussing the plans that Miura and Ebina had regarding Tobe. The slight gloominess that Miura had exhibited when Miss Hiratsuka had appeared was soon gone, but I was certain that I hadn't been the only one to notice it. _Ebina seemed like she recognized what Hiratsuka-sensei meant when she referred to her and Miura having talked on Friday, and I'm fairly sure __Yukinoshita noticed something as well… Even if I still find it hard to believe, I can't escape the fact that Miura has become someone close to me. __Me feeling like I _want _to help her is proof of that._I watched silently as Miura spoke with Ebina and Yui about different situations they could talk to Tobe in, and felt a small smile forming on my face. _Maybe that's one good thing to have happened to me._

_Getting to know Miura for who she truly is._

* * *

"Miura-san, if you don't mind, could we talk for a moment, just the two of us?"

The blonde girl looked at me with a raised eyebrow, then glanced behind her in the direction where the others had stopped a little ways away from us.

"Yumiko? You coming?" Ebina was the one to ask, with Hikigaya and Yuigahama looking back at us as well. _I do not enjoy the idea of letting Hikigaya-kun be alone with two other girls, but… It is an unfortunate necessity. And, this way, at least Miura-san won't be with him._

"Ah, you go on ahead. I'll meet you at the gates, Hina." The other girl nodded back, then began to make her way down the hallway, with Yuigahama following suit after waving at us. Hikigaya's gaze lingered on us for a moment, before he nodded briefly, then started to walk down the hallway as well. "Alright, so… what did you like, want to talk about?" Miura asked from me once the others had gone.

"I won't keep you for long, Miura-san. I just wanted to ask… about Hikigaya-kun." I said as I finished locking the door to the clubroom, fully turning to face Miura once I had confirmed it was indeed locked. "You've gotten awfully close with him in quite a short amount of time." Miura looked at me with a confused expression, then crossed her arms.

"Uh, yeah? What about it? We've like, told you everything already. Hikio helped me when I was at my weakest, and I realized he wasn't such a bad guy after all." A small smile appeared on Miura's face, and I felt the hand still holding onto the clubroom key clenching into a fist. "Is it like, so weird that we'd become friends? I mean, I know we weren't really that friendly before, but… You know what Hikio is like, right? He's just so… I don't know, _great_. I should have gotten to know him sooner." _...Things __are starting to seem as I feared._

"Yes, I _do _indeed know what Hikigaya-kun is like." _Better than anyone else. _"I only want to make sure that… things stay the way they are _meant_ to." Miura lifted an eyebrow in confusion at my words. "I understand that it will be impossible to… _sever _your 'friendship', now, and I plan on doing no such things. If things stay that way, everything will go smoothly, so I ask you now, Miura-san: Is there something _more _to you seeking to become closer with Hikigaya-kun than simply friendship?" I focused my gaze on Miura's eyes, which now widened in surprise, her mouth opening slightly. _I would not mind it if Miura-san stayed as a… _friend _to Hikigaya-kun, if it makes him happier, as long as I know that she will pose no threat to our future together. That is why I must confirm things here and now, before his charms capture her and things escalate. I must make her understand that she is treading on _my _territory, and is free to do so __only__ as long as she respects my wishes and orders._

"Huh?" Miura articulated her surprise a few moments later, then cleared her throat and continued. "W-what do you mean by that?" Miura averted her eyes for a moment and raised a hand up, beginning to twirl a strand of her hair around her index finger, while I simply narrowed my eyes at her. _Her reaction would point towards the worst possible outcome – that she has already fallen for Hikigaya-kun. The worst possible outcome for _her_, that is._

"What I am asking is simple, Miura-san. I know you have gotten rejected by Hayama-kun, and realized that he is not the person you thought he was. So then, are you seeking something _more _than just friendship from Hikigaya-kun?" Miura's cheeks gained a tint of red to them and she looked away from me again. _If she now confirms my suspicions… It determines what I must do moving forward._

"W-well, so what if I was? How does that concern you in any way? It's not like you're his…_ g-girlfriend _or anything." Miura's finger stopped its movements, and she was now glaring at me, though her slightly flushed cheeks meant it didn't quite have the desired effect. _So, it's true, then. That is… most unfortunate. Yuigahama-san posed no threat to me due to her being too passive and afraid of taking a step forwards – it means I do not have to resort to any drastic measures regarding her. But Miura-san… She already speaks with him casually, and who knows how much they've interacted under my nose during the past week. Her aggressiveness might negatively affect Hikigaya-kun, and he might be tempted to be swayed from the path he is meant to walk._

_I must prevent that._

_As much as I didn't want to go this far… You've left me no choice, Miura-san._

"Oh, Miura-san, it is nothing so ordinary." I replied to her and closed my eyes, feeling a triumphant smile growing on my face. "Yes, it is true that Hikigaya-kun and myself are not in a relationship currently, but… it is only a matter of time. You see..." I opened my eyes again and met Miura's eyes, sharpening my gaze as I lowered my voice. "...We are _meant _to be together, and that means that _nothing _can get in our way. So, I would suggest that you… _give up _on any possible _delusions _you might have, because if it comes to it… I will not hesitate in getting rid of any _pests _that stand in my way." Miura looked at me with wide eyes, unmoving for multiple seconds, until her face twisted into a scowl.

"You… You're talking as if it's set in stone already, but… You can't just _claim _someone like that! You have to like, take into account the feelings of the other person as well. And you haven't even said any of this Hikio, have you?" Miura glared back at me while pointing an accusatory finger at me, but I was unfazed by her words.

"As I said, it is only a matter of time. We are meant to be together, but Hikigaya just needs to realize that himself. He needs to come to the understanding that only I can stand by his side, and so, I must make sure his life is devoid of any _distractions _that might affect this. So, I ask you again, Miura-san. If you have any _delusions_, please let them go, so I won't have to resort to anything unsavoury. I was hesitant at first, but after seeing the way you acted around him… I had to make sure you knew your place." Miura stayed quiet as she glared at me, and after seeing that she had no retort, I walked up to her, stopping just next to her and looking sideways at her. "I suggest you take what I've said to heart. Hikigaya-kun is _mine_. As long as you keep that in mind, I will let you remain. And do not speak of this encounter with him – Hikigaya-kun would not believe you anyway." After a few silent moments, I kept walking, not looking back at Miura.

Once I had made it far enough that she wouldn't be able to see me any more, I stopped and leaned against a wall, letting out a sigh. _That was… Intense, to say the least. I… almost can't believe I was capable of saying __such things__… _I lifted up one of my hands and looked at my palm, noticing that my hand was shaking. _Did I… go too far..? I've made Miura-san cry in the past, though that was due to a different reason, and with different methods, but… No, this had to be done, __even if I initially didn't want to do it__. If she had said she was simply content with being friends with Hikigaya-kun, I wouldn't have had to go so far, but knowing that she, too, has fallen for him… _My hand stopped shaking and balled up into a fist. _Well, I cannot blame her for it. But, it does not give her the right to steal away what rightfully belongs to me. Hikigaya-kun and I are meant to be together, and there is no space for anyone else to stand next to him. _I lowered my hand and looked outside a nearby window out onto the school grounds, where a few lone figures could be spotted here and there. _These revelations I have had about my feelings… They have definitely caused a change in me. __A scary change, and one I didn't __understand at first._

_Until now._

_I fully understand the meaning of the saying "All is fair in love and war", now._

I began to walk down the hallway again, making my way towards Hiratsuka-sensei's office to return the clubroom key. _Hmm… Perhaps I should have stayed and gauged Miura-san's reaction..? It did seem like my words had an effect on her, and for her own good, I can only hope that effect was the desired one. And even if she were to tell someone about what happened… It is their word against mine. And I trust Hikigaya-kun to believe _me_, should it come to that. _I smiled to myself as I walked, now feeling satisfied. _Come to think of it… Perhaps calling him "Hikigaya-kun" won't suffice any longer… Yes… We are meant to be together, so it would only make sense to call him something more… _intimate_._

…

_Ha…_

"H-Hachiman."

Without thinking, I had said his first name out loud, and immediately froze in the middle of a hallway, feeling a blush creeping up to my cheeks. _O-okay, that was more embarrassing than I had expected… Perhaps I am not quite ready to use his first name yet, but… Maybe something like…_

"Hachi."

…

"Hachi. Hachi! Hachi?"

…

"Hachi."

I smiled to myself as I repeated the nickname in my head. _Hachi. Hachi. Hachi._

_It's perfect._

Realizing I was still standing in the middle of the hallway, I shook my head and took a deep breath, then continued forward. _It feels as if I am one step closer to my goal, now. And in a way, I am. _As I walked, I took out my phone from my pocket and looked at my – admittedly short – list of contacts, which now held a new name. _At least that's one good thing to have resulted from Miura-san's meddling._

I smiled as I looked at the name displayed on screen and the phone number visible beneath it, then pocketed my phone and continued on.

* * *

"_...Hikigaya-kun is mine."_

"No..."

I whispered the word and clenched my hands into fists, then whipped my head around, but saw no sign of the black-haired girl who had been with me moments prior. _Yukinoshita… I thought we could have started over with this, and in a way we did, but…_

"_If you have any delusions, please let them go"_

_No… _You're _the delusional one here, Yukinoshita. Even if you love someone… You can't just say things like that. That's not… right._

She had said she knew what Hikio was like, but if she harboured those kinds of thoughts, she clearly didn't know him well enough. Yukinoshita was trying to monopolize him – in a negative way – without paying any heed to what _he_ felt. No, it was worse than that. She believed that healso loved her, but had yet to _realize_ it. _How can one person be so… self-absorbed..? Was this…_

_...How I looked to others when I fended off anyone who tried to get close to Hayato?_

I felt my hands – no, my entire body – shaking at the thought. I was _not _like that. Not any more. I hadn't given up on changing Hayato, but I had given up on loving him. I have someone else I love now.

But was I trying to _pursue _that love, like Yukinoshita had asked?

Not really, at least not yet. To answer her question honestly… I would have been fine with just pursuing friendship with Hikio. Making sure my clique would survive after graduation took precedence over any… _romantic affairs_. _After everything I've been through, a good, true friend like Hikio… I would do anything for that. But now he is more than that __to me __– I've fallen in love with him. So hearing Yukinoshita say those things…_

_Can anyone in the same situation remain calm?_

_Could I be blamed for feeling this animosity towards her?_

_It's perfectly normal…_

_...That I would want to do the exact opposite of what she wants._

Yukinoshita had issued an ultimatum, in other words, a _threat_.

But she didn't know who she was dealing with. I've now made my decision. Miura Yumiko does not roll over and move to the sidelines just because a romantic rival appeared. I didn't do so with Hayato, so I sure as hell won't do so with Hikio. The main difference is that this time, I _know _these feelings of mine are true, and I am _deadly _serious about seeing them reciprocated.

"...Alright. You reap what you sow."

I clenched my hands into fists again and looked down the hallway where Yukinoshita had walked off to. _If you're going to threaten me…_

"...Then I just have to take that threat as a _challenge_. Yukinoshita said that only she can stand by Hikio's side, leaving no space for anyone else. So then, I just have to show her how _wrong _she is." I smiled to myself with confidence, then suddenly felt a vibration from my pocket. Pulling out my phone, I noticed a message from Hina, questioning where I was. _Ah, right… She's waiting for me. _I sent the girl a quick reply telling her I was on my way, then started to briskly walk down the hallway, my thoughts still focused around what Yukinoshita had said to me. _Just you wait…_

_...I'll show Yukinoshita and Hikio that I'm the one who will stand by his side._

* * *

**AN: And that's a wrap, folks! This chapter was a little shorter than what I initially planned, but I finally got to advance some things in the story. And while this took a bit long to write (three weeks in total just for this chapter, which, when put together with what I spent writing on my other story resulted in the perceived delay), at least I didn't quite repeat what happened with the previous chapter.**

**Things are only going to escalate from here, and I have plenty of ideas rattling around in my head, so I just have to find ways to coherently put them all together. A healthy mix of some more casual things and more dramatic moments are coming, so you can all look forward to the next chapter!**

**Until then, cheerio!**


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